FDA Halts Blood Donations in Two Florida Counties Over Zika Fears

The agency action comes amid investigations into four possible cases of local spread

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

By Reuters Staff

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has ordered all blood collection centers in Florida's Miami-Dade and Broward counties to stop collecting blood as state health department officials continue to investigate four possible cases of local transmission of the Zika virus.

In a statement posted on its website on Wednesday, the FDA said blood centers should stop collecting blood in the two counties until they can implement testing for the Zika virus in each unit of blood collected, or until they can put in place technology that can kill pathogens in collected blood.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

The FDA also recommends that nearby counties implement the same measures to maintain the safety of the U.S. blood supply.

The steps follow Florida's announcement on Wednesday that it has identified two more Zika cases - one more in each county - that were not related to travel to an area where the virus is being transmitted.

A CDC spokesman said on Wednesday that "evidence is mounting to suggest local transmission via mosquitoes" in South Florida, noting that the cases fit transmission patterns seen with prior mosquito-borne outbreaks such as Chikungunya.

Although Zika is primarily spread by the bite of an infected mosquito, it can also be spread through blood transfusions and sex with an infected person. The CDC is also investigating a case in Utah in which a caregiver may have contracted the virus from an elderly person with high levels of the Zika virus in his blood who later died.

FDA said it will continue to monitor the situation in Florida in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state public health authorities and provide updates as additional information becomes available.

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American