Feb 8, 2016, 9:16 AM

France restricts blood donations over Zika virus fear

France restricts blood donations over Zika virus fear

PARIS, Feb. 08 (MNA) – French Health Minister Marisol Touraine said on Sunday that French travelers coming home from any regions where outbreaks of the Zika virus have been reported will need to wait at least 28 days before donating blood to prevent any risks of transmission.

The French Health minister noted that the measure is aimed at verifying that donations are not contaminated.

With regard to the blood donated on the French territories in the Caribbean(French Guiana, Martinique and Guadalupe), Touraine pointed out that all samples must be tested.

In late January, the minister advised pregnant women to postpone their trips to the Antilles and Guyana due to the Zika virus.

The minister warned that the epidemic is very serious, as the disease can cause neurological damage and complications in pregnant women and malformations in the babies.

 

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News ID 114248

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