Keeping blood transfusion safe from West Nile virus: American Red Cross experience, 2003-2012

West Nile virus (WNV) appeared for the first time in the United States in 1999 and rapidly spread across the Western hemisphere within a few years causing hundreds of thousands of human infections and significant disease. In 2002, it was found to be transmissible by blood transfusion and within less than a year, nucleic acid testing for WNV RNA was in place for all US donations. The American Red Cross (ARC) collects about 40% of blood donations in the US and closely monitors the results of such testing and evaluates donors found to be reactive.

Source: Transfusion Medicine Reviews - March 24, 2015 Category: Hematology Authors: Roger Y. Dodd, Gregory A. Foster, Susan L. Stramer Source Type: research