Local Blood Bank to Begin Zika Testing on Blood Donations

LA QUINTA, CA - Coachella Valley-based Lifestream Blood Bank announced this week that all blood donations collected by its clinics will be tested for the Zika virus, per a recent Food and Drug Administration recommendation.

Donors will be provided with consent forms, allowing their blood to be tested as part of a Zika research program. People who decline the testing will not be allowed to donate.

Lifestream officials said the test has not yet been approved by the FDA, but the testing has proven effective on "tens of thousands of blood donors in Puerto Rico and the southern United States," according to Dr. Joe Chaffin, LifeStream's chief medical officer.

The FDA in late August recommended universal Zika testing of donated blood in the United States.

Though no confirmed cases of Zika transmission via blood donation have been detected, LifeStream officials say it is possible that Zika could be transmitted without proper testing, especially since many infected patients do not have any symptoms.

"Making blood donation contingent on Zika testing helps ensure the continued safety of the local blood supply, and is in compliance with FDA guidance," Chaffin said.

Prior to today, LifeStream implemented Zika blood donation restrictions, including a four-week donation deferral for people who traveled to Florida or anywhere outside of North America, were diagnosed with a Zika infection or displayed symptoms following recent travel.

– By City News Service / Image via Shutterstock.