Zika impact in south Florida prompts new donor restrictions

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DAYTON – Community Blood Center is taking additional precautions against the Zika virus out of concern that local donors may have traveled to two counties in Florida where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has requested the suspension of blood collections. Zika is transmitted by mosquito bites.

CBC is asking anyone who has traveled to Florida’s Miami-Dade or Broward counties in the last four weeks to self-defer from registering to donate blood.

CBC is currently deferring potential donors for 28 days who have traveled to Zika endemic areas in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central or South America.

CBC will expand the 28-day deferral to include potential donors who have traveled to Florida’s Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

CBC is in the process of adding questions about travel to Miami-Dade and Broward counties to the blood donor screening questionnaire. The new travel restriction will go into effect during the first week of August.

Adding new travel restrictions has the potential to impact the available blood supply by further limiting the number of people able to donate. Zika travel deferments already in place and stricter FDA requirements for hemoglobin level and pulse screening that went into effect May 23 already represent a 2 percent potential impact on the donor deferral rate.

CBC asks eligible donors to please consider helping CBC offset this impact and help area patients in need of blood by making an appointment to donate at www.DonorTime.com.

Restrictions have been placed on blood donors who have a higher risk of exposure to the mosquito-borne Zika virus.
https://www.urbanacitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2016/07/web1_mosquito-2-1.jpgRestrictions have been placed on blood donors who have a higher risk of exposure to the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

Submitted Story

Submitted by Community Blood Center.

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