Reports regarding the Zika Virus seem to get more grim each passing day and now the the mosquito-borne Zika virus is creating headaches for blood banks in several counties where the disease has been found in Florida, according to a new federal report. The Congressional Research Service report says that on July 27, the Food and Drug Administration advised blood centers in Miami-Dade and Broward counties in Florida to stop collecting blood until they could test each donated unit for the Zika virus, using a test that the FDA cleared for use earlier this year.
OneBlood, which collects blood throughout most of the state, had already decided, after consulting with the Florida Department of Health, to suspend collections in south Florida. Two days later, FDOH announced the first cases of a mosquito-borne transmission in the continental United States, originating in Miami-Dade county. OneBlood began testing all blood units collected throughout its service area. CONTINUE
