The National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) has been working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) and numerous industry and healthcare organizations to monitor the Zika virus outbreak, which has been declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO).
As Zika is a flavivirus, which is a lipid enveloped virus, there is a high probability that it will be successfully inactivated by current viral inactivation techniques (heat, solvent/detergent, nanofiltration) used in the manufacture of plasma-derived medicinal products including plasma-derived FVIII and FIX and vWD concentrates.
Transmission via blood or non-virally inactivated blood components is a potentially greater issue. Transmission is possible through blood donated by infected residents or travelers returning from affected areas, many of whom may be asymptomatic at the time of donation.
Currently, transmission had been identified in at least 21 countries or territories in the Americas, including Puerto Rico. Zika virus infections have been reported in travelers returning to the United States. With the recent outbreaks in the Americas, the number of Zika virus disease cases among travelers visiting or returning to the United States likely will increase. These imported cases may result in local spread of the virus in some areas of the continental United States, meaning these imported cases may result in human-to-mosquito-to-human spread of the virus.
In response the CDC has issued the following healthcare advisory.
NHF is monitoring this situation and will issue updates as more information becomes available. Follow us on Facebook: @NationalHemophiliaFoundation and on Twitter: @NHF_hemophilia for updates.
For more information on the Zika Virus:
| • | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| • | World Health Organization |
| • | US Dept. of Health and Human Services Zika 101 |