News
ICViewExpert PerspectivesMedical World NewsPathogen PlaybookVideosWebinars
Conference CoverageConference ListingAPIC Chapters
Infection Control TodaySupplements And Featured Publications
CME/CEEditorial Advisory BoardJob BoardPartnersSponsoredWhitepapers
Subscribe
Educator of the Year Official Rules2024 Educator of the Year Winner2023 Educator of the Year WinnerEducator of the Year
Advanced TechnologyAdvanced TechnologyAdvanced Technology
Bug of the Month
COVID-19
Environmental ServicesEnvironmental Services
HAIs
Hand Hygiene
IC Trends
Long-Term CareLong-Term Care
Operating Room
Personal Protective EquipmentPersonal Protective Equipment
Policy
PreventionPreventionPreventionPrevention
Sterile ProcessingSterile Processing
Surface Disinfection
Vascular Access
Spotlight -
  • IC Trends
  • Bug of the Month
  • Featured Articles
  • Featured Columns
  • Pathogen Playbook
Advanced TechnologyAdvanced TechnologyAdvanced Technology
Bug of the Month
COVID-19
Environmental ServicesEnvironmental Services
HAIs
Hand Hygiene
IC Trends
Long-Term CareLong-Term Care
Operating Room
Personal Protective EquipmentPersonal Protective Equipment
Policy
PreventionPreventionPreventionPrevention
Sterile ProcessingSterile Processing
Surface Disinfection
Vascular Access
    • News
    • Subscribe
Advertisement

Steps to Prevent Transfusion-Related Zika Virus Transmission

December 2, 2016
Article

As the Zika virus spreads to the United States, the potential for contracting the disease via blood transfusion has emerged as a serious concern. The problem of transfusion-related Zika virus transmission-and recommended strategies to reduce that risk-are outlined in a special article in Anesthesia & Analgesia, published by Wolters Kluwer.

In addition to blood screening tests, an approach called patient blood management (PBM) can provide further protection by reducing the need for blood transfusion during surgery, according to the article by Drs. Lawrence Tim Goodnough of Stanford University and Marisa B. Marques of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. They write, "The principles and practices of perioperative PBM will reduce the risks from not only known, but unknown risks of blood transfusion for our patients."

Since the first case in Brazil was reported in April 2015, Zika has spread rapidly throughout the Americas. Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that can also be transmitted by sexual activity. While the Zika virus typically causes a relatively mild illness, infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly and other devastating congenital malformations. Zika can also cause a serious neurologic disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer up-to-date information about Zika.)

"Blood centers have been bracing for the arrival of the virus in the United States' blood supply since the beginning of 2016," Goodnough and Marques write. More than 4,000 Zika infections have been reported in the United States that were travel-related, along with mosquito-borne infections (3% of total) in Florida. Cases of Zika transmitted through blood transfusion have been confirmed in Brazil.

What's the best strategy to prevent transfusion-related Zika transmission? Several approaches have been suggested, all with limitations. For example, potential donors could be asked about recent travel to areas of active Zika infection-but could still potentially be infected by sexual contact with an individual at risk. Because up to 80 percent of Zika infections cause no symptoms, simply asking blood donors if they are sick, won't prevent infected people from donating. For this reason, the Food and Drug Administration has recommended screening of donor blood using a nucleic acid test (NAT). However, the NAT is still investigational (not formally approved by the FDA). As the blood donor test for Zika virus was rolled out nationally in the fourth quarter of 2016, blood banks were faced with the challenge of managing two inventories: tested (labeled) blood units and untested units.

Meanwhile, Goodnough and Marques suggest that a proven approach to reducing transfusion requirements during surgery can also reduce the risk of transfusion-related Zika transmission. That approach, called PBM, seeks to reduce the need for blood transfusion by "consistently and rigorously" following steps to ensure that patients don't have anemia before surgery; to reduce blood loss during surgery; and to use alternatives to transfusion, when possible.

While Zika-contaminated blood units are likely rare, they do exist. Initial experience with the NAT test detected about 40 cases of Zika in blood donors. In Puerto Rico, 1.8 percent of blood donors tested positive for Zika over the first few months after the NAT was introduced. For now, the uncertainty about Zika in the US blood supply is similar to that in previous outbreaks of blood-borne infections, such as HIV and West Nile virus.

"Patients should be reassured that while the current risk for Zika infection through blood transfusion is quantifiably unknown, it is very low," Goodnough and Marques write. They suggest that patients undergoing surgery can be informed about PBM, and the steps that can be taken to reduce the need for blood transfusion-and thus avoid Zika transmission and other potential risks of blood transfusion. The authors' hospitals have prioritized use of NAT-tested and labeled blood units for pregnant women and infants.

"The global threat of Zika will inevitably be followed by future outbreaks of other blood-borne pathogens," Goodnough and Marques conclude. "[T]he principles and practices of perioperative PBM will reduce the risks from not only known, but unknown risks of blood transfusion for our patients."

Source: International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS)



Recent Videos
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Mark Wiencek, PhD
Rebecca Crapanzano-Sigafoos, DrPH, CIC, AL-CIP, FAPIC
The CDC’s updated hospital respiratory reporting requirement has added new layers of responsibility for infection preventionists. Karen Jones, MPH, RN, CIC, FAPIC, clinical program manager at Wolters Kluwer, breaks down what it means and how IPs can adapt.
Studying for the CIC using a digital tablet and computer (Adobe Stock 335828989 by NIKCOA)
Infection Control Today's Conversations with the HSPA President, Arlene Bush, CRCST, CER, CIS, SME, DSMD, CRMST
Infection Control Today's Conversations with the HSPA President, Arlene Bush, CRCST, CER, CIS, SME, DSMD, CRMST
Cheron Rojo, BS, FCS, CHL,  CER, CFER, CRCST
Matthias Tschoerner, Dr Sc
Standardizing Cleaning and Disinfection
Related Content

The Clean Bite

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Dental Professionals: A Layered Defense

Sherrie Busby, EDDA, CDSO, CDIPC
July 1st 2025
Article

Dental infection control expert Sherrie Busby tackles PPE missteps, from chin-bra masks to cropped lab coats, reminding dental teams that proper protection is crucial, not optional.


Rebecca Battjes, MPH, CIC, FAPIC; Vidya Nankoosingh, MLT, CIC; and Peter Teska, MBA

Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
June 30th 2025
Article

Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.


ACIP decides on vaccinations   (Adobe Stock 606491608 by N Lawrenson/peopleimages.com)

New ACIP Panel Backs Seasonal Flu, RSV Vaccinations, but Divisions Emerge Over Thimerosal and Infant Dosing

Richard Payerchin
June 27th 2025
Article

In its first major session under newly appointed leadership, the revamped Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to support flu and RSV vaccinations for the 2025–2026 season, but internal debate over vaccine preservatives, access equity, and risk assessment highlighted the ideological and scientific tensions now shaping federal vaccine policy.


US Department of Health and Human Services

A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides

Richard Payerchin
June 26th 2025
Article

As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.


Jill Holdsworth, CIC, FAPIC, NREMT, CRCST, CHL; and Katie Belski, BSHCA, CRCST, CHL, CIS, CER, At HSPA25

Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski

Betsy Donahue, MA
June 26th 2025
Article

In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.


Infection Control Today's Hot Topics in IPC

Hot Topics for IPC for June 25, 2025: The Future of ACIP, Measles, and More

Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, FAPIC
June 25th 2025
Article

This Hot Topics for IPC covers the latest on ACIP, vaccines, and a study on contact precautions for MRSA.

Related Content

The Clean Bite

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Dental Professionals: A Layered Defense

Sherrie Busby, EDDA, CDSO, CDIPC
July 1st 2025
Article

Dental infection control expert Sherrie Busby tackles PPE missteps, from chin-bra masks to cropped lab coats, reminding dental teams that proper protection is crucial, not optional.


Rebecca Battjes, MPH, CIC, FAPIC; Vidya Nankoosingh, MLT, CIC; and Peter Teska, MBA

Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
June 30th 2025
Article

Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.


ACIP decides on vaccinations   (Adobe Stock 606491608 by N Lawrenson/peopleimages.com)

New ACIP Panel Backs Seasonal Flu, RSV Vaccinations, but Divisions Emerge Over Thimerosal and Infant Dosing

Richard Payerchin
June 27th 2025
Article

In its first major session under newly appointed leadership, the revamped Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to support flu and RSV vaccinations for the 2025–2026 season, but internal debate over vaccine preservatives, access equity, and risk assessment highlighted the ideological and scientific tensions now shaping federal vaccine policy.


US Department of Health and Human Services

A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides

Richard Payerchin
June 26th 2025
Article

As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.


Jill Holdsworth, CIC, FAPIC, NREMT, CRCST, CHL; and Katie Belski, BSHCA, CRCST, CHL, CIS, CER, At HSPA25

Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski

Betsy Donahue, MA
June 26th 2025
Article

In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.


Infection Control Today's Hot Topics in IPC

Hot Topics for IPC for June 25, 2025: The Future of ACIP, Measles, and More

Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, FAPIC
June 25th 2025
Article

This Hot Topics for IPC covers the latest on ACIP, vaccines, and a study on contact precautions for MRSA.

Advertise
About Us
Editorial Board
Contact Us
Job Board
Terms and Conditions
Privacy
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Contact Info

2 Commerce Drive
Cranbury, NJ 08512

609-716-7777

© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.
Home
About Us
News