Central Texas Blood and Tissue Center begins new safeguards Village of The Hills resident Scott Tracy donates blood during the Sept. 24 volunteer drive at the Lakeway Community Center.[/caption]

The Blood and Tissue Center of Central Texas implemented two new practices Sept. 12 and a third measure that debuted Oct. 3 to safeguard the area’s blood supply against the Zika virus—an infection transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito, Public Relations Manager Cindy Rowe said.



Testing Blood donation for virus


Even though donated blood had been tested for other health issues, a blood test for the Zika virus on all donations was added Sept. 12, Rowe said. There is no difference in how the Zika test will affect donors or how much blood is drawn for a donation, she said.


“The Zika test is performed on every donor’s blood post-donation and has no direct impact on your donation experience,” Rowe said. “It is simply an addition to the 14 other post-donation blood tests that are performed on every unit of blood we draw.”



Written consent for minors required


Beginning Sept. 12, all 17-year-old donors are required to have prior written consent from their parents or guardians allowing them to donate blood and agreeing to the Zika test for the donated blood, Rowe said.


Although the test is authorized for use by the Federal Drug Administration, she said it is still classified under a new drug application that requires parental consent for anyone younger than 18 years old. A blood donor must be at least 17 years old and weigh 115 pounds, she said.



Deferral period to donate blood


The center’s list of Zika-affected regions along with a corresponding deferral period requirement—the time that travelers to these areas had to wait before donating blood—was removed Oct. 3, Rowe said.


Since all donations are tested, there was no longer a need for this deferral period, she said.


“Implementing this [Zika blood screening] test is good news for our blood supply,” Rowe said. “Not only does it protect us all from Zika entering our blood supply, but it will also allow us to remove the Zika-related travel deferrals we previously implemented.”


From February through Sept. 12, 389 blood donors have been deferred by the agency from donating blood, she said.


“We have seen a drop [in the number of blood donations], but we are working harder to bring donors in,” Rowe said.


More information is available at www.inyourhands.org.