PHOENIX

Zika virus leads to Arizona blood supply shortage; donors needed

Alicia Gonzales

The Republic | azcentral.com

Aedes mosquitoes can spread disease, including the Zika virus.

United Blood Services officials have asked for donors in the Phoenix area to give a pint to help boost the blood supply, which has been cut by the Zika virus.

Southern Arizona has been hard hit because of donor travel to Mexico, a Zika virus-risk country, severely affecting donations. UBS officials are hoping upcoming community drives in the Phoenix area can help.

Those traveling to Mexico are required to wait 28 days to donate blood. Some blood drives in southern Arizona have been canceled and others have had donations cut to about two-thirds of what had been expected, according to Sue Thew, a United Blood Services spokeswoman. Many blood drives have been heavily reduced or canceled altogether.

The Zika virus has largely reduced the blood supply since the Food and Drug Administration's donor guidance was issued in February, according to Arizona's United Blood Services officials.

To make an appointment to donate at an April blood drive, call 1-877-UBS-HERO or visit www.BloodHero.com and enter your city and ZIP code.

What is the Zika virus?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Zika virus basically lives inside of the Aedes mosquito, and is primarily spread through this particular mosquito's bite. The illness is usually "mild with symptoms" and lasts for about a week. The CDC says many people don't even realize they have been infected. Just watch out for a fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes if you have been to a Zika-infected area and think you might have the Zika virus.

WHO declares Zika virus international health emergency - how concerned should Arizonans be?

In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil. Then, on Feb 1, the World Health Organization declared the Zika virus as a public health emergency of international concern. Local transmission has been reported in many other countries and territories since then, and the Zika virus likely will continue to spread to new areas, according to the CDC.

U.S. official guidance on blood donation

The FDA recommended that individuals who have "been to areas with active Zika virus transmission, potentially have been exposed to the virus, or have had a confirmed Zika virus infection" refrain from donating blood for 28 days, according to a statement released in mid-February.

In mid-March, the American Red Cross released a statement implementing the FDA's suggestion to help reduce the risk of transfusion-transmission of the Zika virus.

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"Following the guidance, we have added a specific question to our donor health history questionnaire concerning travel to or residence in areas with local Zika virus transmission and we continue to ask donors to self-defer, or postpone their blood donation for four weeks, if they are at risk of Zika virus exposure," said Dr. Susan Stramer, vice president of Scientific Affairs at the American Red Cross.