FDA sets guidelines to reduce Zika virus transmission in blood supply

Blood banks in the US have been urged to reject donations from people who have traveled to areas where the Zika virus is active or from those who have had a confirmed infection with a potential exposure to the virus.

FDA acting chief scientist Luciana Borio said: "The FDA has critical responsibilities in outbreak situations and has been working rapidly to take important steps to respond to the emerging Zika virus outbreak.

"We are issuing this guidance for immediate implementation in order to better protect the U.S. blood supply."

The agency recommended that donors at risk for the virus be deferred for four weeks and the entire blood and blood components for transfusion be obtained from areas of the US without active transmission.

The FDA also plans to issue a guidance to address appropriate donor deferral measures for human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products, due to the recent reports of sexual transmission of the virus.

The development of blood screening and diagnostic tests is also being prioritized to identify the presence of the virus.

Plans also include evaluating the safety and efficacy of investigational vaccines and therapeutics that could be developed, and reviewing technology to help suppress populations of the mosquitoes, which spread the virus.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recently established a task force to contribute to the global response to the threat of the Zika virus infection.

The Zika virus is spread by mosquitoes of the Aedes genus. Its symptoms of the virus include fever, rash, joint pain, itching, conjunctivitis or red eyes, headache, muscle pain, and eye pain.