FDA Sets Guidelines to Protect US Blood Supply From Zika
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration is recommending U.S. blood banks refuse donations from people who have travelled to countries where the Zika virus is active in the previous four weeks, part of guidelines meant to protect the blood supply from the mosquito-borne virus.

The agency recommends the same four-week deferral for people who have shown symptoms of the virus or had sexual contact with someone who has traveled to a Zika-affected region in the past three months.

The recommendations follow similar measures taken earlier this month by the Red Cross and the American Association of Blood Banks, which have asked travelers to Zika outbreak countries to wait at least 28 days before donating blood.

While FDA officials stressed that there have been no reports of Zika entering the U.S. blood supply, they said transmission through blood is a real possibility.

"Based on the best available evidence, we believe the new recommendations will help reduce the risk of collecting blood and blood components from donors who may be infected with the Zika virus," said FDA biologics director Dr. Peter Marks, in a statement.

Canadian blood officials have already taken similar steps, deferring donations from people who have travelled outside of Canada, the continental United States and Europe.

The virus is spreading rapidly through Latin America. While most people experience either mild or no symptoms, Zika is suspected of causing a devastating birth defect — babies born with abnormally small heads — and pregnant Americans are urged to avoid travel to affected areas.

One case in Texas is believed to have been transmitted through sex, and officials in Brazil, hard-hit by Zika, have recently reported finding the virus in saliva and urine.

Federal health experts say more study is needed to determine whether Zika can spread through those body fluids. The main source of transmission remains mosquitoes.

Zika usually is transmitted through bites from a mosquito species that can be found in Florida, along the Gulf Coast and in states that border Mexico, among other regions.

Currently no local mosquito-borne Zika cases have been reported in U.S. states, but several cases have been reported in U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa.

In those areas, the FDA recommends blood banks obtain whole blood donations from U.S. states that have not reported Zika transmission via mosquito.

If someone is actively infected, the U.S. government has a test that diagnoses Zika fairly well. But most people experience no symptoms or very mild ones, and the antibody test used to tell afterward if they were infected isn't very accurate.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging pregnant women or those trying to become pregnant not to travel to Zika-affected areas.

FDA：別再從茲卡疫區收集血液

茲卡病毒在美洲迅速擴散，拉丁美洲與加勒比海地區有30多國淪陷。聯邦食品暨藥物管理局（FDA）建議，不應再從茲卡病毒疫區收集血液，輸血所需血液應取自目前沒有傳染病例國家的地區。

FDA表示，如果使用食藥局批准的降低病原體技術，血液銀行可持續蒐集並準備血小板與血漿。目前的降低病原體技術未獲准用在處理全血。多數輸血都是使用全血。

研究人員開始研究血液傳染茲卡病毒的後果，但6到12個月後才有結果。同時，FDA說，可能感染茲卡病毒的民眾，必須延後至少四周捐血。

FDA生物部門主任馬克斯（Peter Marks）在聲明中說：「新的建議有助於降低從可能感染茲卡病毒民眾身上收集血液與血液成分的風險。」

另一方面，引發嬰兒小頭症的茲卡病毒的起源，引發各種陰謀論。紐約時報報導，起源包括一家英國生技公司在巴西釋放基改蚊對抗登革熱時意外創造出茲卡病毒；一群阿根廷醫師宣稱小頭症和茲卡病毒無關，而是飲水中的一種殺幼蟲劑引起的，而科學家和衛生官員已澄清小頭症與殺蟲劑無關。

世衛組織也為基改蚊背書，表示基改蚊實驗可用來對抗茲卡病毒。

原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/02/16/us/politics/ap-us-zika-blood-donors.html

2016-02-19 世界日報 編譯中心