Hawaii screening blood for Zika

KAILUA-KONA — The Blood Bank of Hawaii is now screening donated blood for the Zika virus in preparation for a potential outbreak in the state.

The U.S Food and Drug Administration Friday revised its guidelines for screening the nation’s blood supply and Hawaii is among 11 states being advised to implement the FDA recommendations “as soon as feasible but not later than four weeks after the guidance issue date,” according to the agency’s recommendations. Other states and territories should implement the recommendations within the next 12 weeks.

Blood Bank of Hawaii medical director Dr. Randal Covin said the blood bank, which is the only community blood bank in the state that supplies blood to community hospitals, has been sending donated blood out for Zika virus testing since Monday.

In February, the FDA said blood couldn’t be collected from areas where Zika was being transmitted via mosquitoes unless it could be tested for the virus.

Although Hawaii isn’t an area with active Zika transmission — that refers to places where the virus is being passed on to people via mosquitoes — Covin said they knew the state is at risk of becoming one.

“We certainly have a lot of people traveling back and forth, we have the mosquitoes that can transmit it … so we were certainly a place at risk,” he said.

In order to get ahead of any potential outbreaks across the state, Covin said, they made the decision to start screening donations for the virus.

“We knew that if Zika came to Hawaii and we weren’t testing, we would essentially have to shut down,” Covin said.

That’s already happened elsewhere in the country. Earlier this year, Puerto Rico had to shut down blood collections, costing the territory millions of dollars in imported blood from the mainland, Covin said.

Getting the testing process in place beforehand means the state won’t have to run the risk of having to import blood to the islands.

The blood bank’s action put them ahead of the recent FDA advisory suggesting all states make plans to have all donated blood screened to prevent the virus from entering the blood supply.

The agency said there haven’t yet been any reports of Zika entering the blood supply, but knowledge of how virus spreads and reports of transfusion-associated infections outside the U.S. have raised concerns.

Covin said the addition of Zika testing won’t impede the flow of blood products to island hospitals.

Samples of all blood donations are already sent to a mainland laboratory to screen for infections such as HIV.

Covin said there won’t be any additional delay because of the Zika virus test.

Blood donors will also notice some extra questions on the questionnaire they fill out when they’re giving blood.

For months now, the blood bank has been asking potential donors if they’ve traveled to Zika-affected areas.

Covin said the blood bank is now including questions about whether donors have been diagnosed with the virus or are showing symptoms. They’ll also be asked about any sexual or close contact with anybody infected with Zika.

Donors who respond that they have had symptoms or contact with anyone diagnosed with Zika will not be able to give blood.

The FDA recommends deferring such donors for 120 days after a positive test or a resolution of symptoms.

If someone gives blood and his or her test later shows a positive result for the Zika virus, Covin said that donor will be informed of the result.