The outbreak of the Zika virus across much of the Americas is hindering the blood supply in the U.S. at a time when donations are typically already slow.
The Greenville News reports that although the percentage of people in upstate South Carolina turned away from donating due to travel to Zika-affected nations is only about 2 percent, its impact is disproportionately large in the summer months.
“That’s impactful when you’re considering you’re dealing with a lower turnout of donors at this time anyway,” Tracy Bridges, chief technical officer at The Blood Connection in Piedmont, S.C., told the paper.
South Carolina, to date, has seen seven cases of the Zika virus stemming from travel to nations impacted by the mosquito-borne virus; no new cases in the U.S. have been transmitted by mosquito.
South Carolina, to date, has seen seven cases of the Zika virus stemming from travel to nations impacted by the mosquito-borne virus; no new cases in the U.S. have been transmitted by mosquito.
Zika gained attention due to its links to the birth defect microcephaly and the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome, but officials said that most illnesses are mild and that only one in five of those infected show any symptoms at all.
U.S. authorities instituted travel screening as the best way to keep the virus out of the blood supply, but health experts said that the number of people traveling to those nations that are exposed to Zika could be less than 1 percent.
Helmut Albrecht of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine estimated that the average number turned away from donating would be about 1.2 percent nationwide, but that the impact would be higher in states whose residents visit affected nations at a higher rate.
“If you’re working on a marginal amount of supply, any additional loss of donors would be significant,” Albrecht told the News.
Relief, however, appears to be on the horizon. A test for exposure to the Zika virus is expected to be implemented by The Blood Connection next month, which would effectively eliminate deferrals based on travel screening.
