Staff Reports

As part of its commitment to ensuring the safest blood supply possible, the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center (STBTC) has begun testing blood donations for the Zika virus. STBTC is one of only a handful of blood centers in the nation currently testing for Zika.

“We believe this is the best way to safeguard the people of South Texas who need blood transfusions,” said Elizabeth Waltman, chief operating officer of STBTC. “Taking a precautionary approach will optimize patient safety and help maintain blood availability for everyone.”

Testing for the Zika virus is being done by QualTex Laboratories, which like STBTC is a subsidiary of San Antonio-based nonprofit BioBridge Global, with testing labs here and in Norcross, Ga. 

The Zika virus test is a new technology developed by the biotech Roche. It has been approved for clinical trial by the Food and Drug Administration under an investigational new drug (IND) protocol, which means donors must give written consent for their blood to be tested, and results will be used in research.

“We’re urging anyone who donates to sign the consent form,” Waltman said. “The testing does not change anything about the donation process, except for this one extra signature. And it will go a long way toward keeping everyone in South Texas safer.”

Donations still will be accepted from those who do not sign, except from people who have traveled to Zika-affected areas. If someone has traveled to a Zika-affected area and chooses not to sign the consent, that person must wait 28 days after returning to the U.S. to donate. Donations will be accepted from those who have traveled to Zika-affected areas and sign the consent form.

 “The ideal situation is to have universal testing and for all our donors to sign the consent form,” Waltman said. “The more Zika-tested blood we have on our shelves for patients, the less risk there is for everyone.”