Zika Virus Affecting Blood Donation Policies

Zika Virus Affecting Blood Donation Policies
FILE - In this Jan. 27, 2016, file photo, an Aedes aegypti mosquito is photographed through a microscope at the Fiocruz institute in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File
Zika Virus Affecting Blood Donation Policies
FILE - In this Jan. 27, 2016, file photo, an Aedes aegypti mosquito is photographed through a microscope at the Fiocruz institute in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File

Zika Virus Affecting Blood Donation Policies

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Chicagoans who have recently been to areas of the globe with known cases of the Zika virus are being asked to hold off on giving blood for about a month.

The guideline came down from the American Association of Blood Banks one day after the World Health Organization declared the Zika virus a “global public health emergency.”

The guideline will affect most blood centers across the country, including LifeSource’s 18 locations in the Chicago area.

“We are going to ask donors to self-defer if they have traveled to any of the affected areas for that period of 28 days,” said Christine Pappas, a spokeswoman for the centers.

If you’ve already donated after returning from one of the countries, Pappas recommends calling the blood center and letting staff there  know.

On Tuesday Texas county officials also confirmed the first case of Zika virus transmitted person-to-person through sex.