Jamaica blood bank low due to chikungunya virus

By Caribbean Medical News Staff
Jamaica’s blood bank is running low and it is due to the current crisis in chikungunya virus in that country.
According to reports from the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) people who have had the virus are not allowed to donate blood until 28 days after recovery. As a result, the Agency is now in urgent need of 12 000 units of blood.
This is according to Acting director the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) Dr. Veronica Taylor who said that several potential donors had to be turned away due to the BNTS’ policy on donation after illness.
“The NBTS understands public concerns about the safety of donating blood at this time and acknowledges that information regarding the impact of the CHIKV infection on blood donors and recipients of blood from a previously infected donor is not well understood,” the NBTS statement said.
“Under international screening guidelines adhered to by the NBTS, blood is only collected from individuals provided it is considered not to put the donor at risk of ill health and not to put the recipient at health risk,” it added.
The chikungunya virus can remain in trace amounts in the body for up to 17 days and a relapse can occur with fever and other symptoms despite having been infected before. Taylor suggested that someone who had suffered chikungunya who had been virus free for about a month was less likely to suffer a relapse and the policy for not accepting blood from sufferers until after a 28 day post recovery period, would continue.