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New Blood Donor Travel Restrictions May Prompt Donor Questions
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FREQUENTLY ASKED vCJD QUESITONS Q: Has anyone ever been infected with vCJD by blood transfusion?
A: No. There are no known cases of vCJD transmitted through blood transfusion.
Q: If I am not eligible to donate based on the new vCJD criteria, am I going
to get vCJD?
A: The human form of Mad Cow Disease is very rare. The blood industry is using travel restrictions to screen for vCJD until a screening test is developed. The new criteria are precautionary measures based on a theoretical risk.
Q: If I have received a blood transfusion in the past, should I be concerned?
A: The blood supply is safer than it has ever been. There are no known cases of transmission of vCJD through blood transfusion.
Q: If deferred due to the new vCJD criteria, will I ever be able to donate again?
A: A vCJD screening test may be developed in the future, so it is possible. |
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The Blood Bank of Hawaii is federally regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), adhering to guidelines established to maintain the safety of the blood supply. The FDA has issued new blood donor travel restrictions as a precautionary measure against variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), which were implemented at the Blood Bank of Hawaii as of May 2002. The new criteria may result in questions from donors to blood drive coordinators about the disease and how they may be affected.
 What is vCJD?
Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) is the human form of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as
Mad Cow Disease. It is a progressive neurological disease caused
by an infectious protein called a prion.
It is believed that vCJD is acquired through the ingestion of infected beef products. The first human cases of vCJD were reported in the United Kingdom in 1996. It has since been reported in more than 100 people, the majority of whom reside in Europe.
There are no known cases of vCJD transmitted through blood transfusion.
The new FDA guidelines are a precautionary measure based on a theoretical risk. To prevent the possibility of spreading vCJD through blood products, people who have traveled to regions of Europe where infected beef products were potentially available are being deferred as blood donors.
What are the new deferral criteria?
As of May 15, 2002, people with a history of the following are no longer eligible to donate blood:
- Residence in the U.K. for 3 months or more, between 1980 and 1996.
- Recipients of a blood transfusion in the U.K., between 1980 and the present.
- Residence in Europe for five years or more, between 1980 and the present.
- Military personnel (current and former) and their dependents, who spent time on military bases in Europe for six months or more between 1980 and 1996.
For More Information
If you have questions or would like to speak with someone at the Blood Bank of Hawaii regarding blood donation and vCJD, please contact your field representative or Stephanie Rosso at 848-4715. From neighbor islands call 1-800-372-9966.
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