The blood donated at the transfusion centers is additionally checked up after 22 people have been infected with the West Nile virus and six other died because of the virus in Romania this year.
“The blood is additionally checked across the blood transfusion centers after we had 22 case of West Nile infections and six deaths. But the checks have been conducted for several months, for a donor infected with West Nile may come to donate blood and he doesn’t know he is infected, which might lead to infecting other people. It’s just a type of precautionary measure,” said the Health Ministry’s spokesperson, Oana Grigore.
In her turn, Doina Gosa, the director of the Bucharest Transfusion Center confirmed the blood tests for West Nile have been conducted in Bucharest centers since the first case severla eyars ago. She said that Romania has been facing West Nile infections during August-September for about five years.
Gosa stated that the blood donated at the center doesn’t leave for hospitals unless is tested for West Nile. The tests last 72 hours. Gosa assured that the checks haven’t’ led to a blood crisis.
„There is no blood crisis for we are accustomed to the West Nile alert and we took precautionary measures to provide stocks in the first days,” said the director of the Bucharest transfusion center.
She explained that the virus is usually found in plain areas, where there are lakes, forests and mosquitos. People may be infected and may not by aware of that for, in the first instance, the disease manifests itself like a simple cold, with a little fever, but they don’t go to the hospital. The people with low immunity, aged or invalids are usuallymost exposed to the virus.
22 case of West Nile meningitis have been confirmed this year in Romania, with six deaths reported in Bucharest, Buzau, Braila and Olt.