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t m c » p u l s e | j u ly 2 0 1 6 32 Just Add Blood While the threat of the Zika virus raises national concern, The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center participates in a new clinical trial to ensure the safety of the local blood supply increased security measures to protect people from the virus. The CDC has since issued travel advisories for preg- nant women, warning against traveling to those regions with active transmis- sion of Zika, and the U.S. Department of Defense has offered to voluntarily relocate pregnant employees and their families out of affected areas. Many independent organizations are also proactively implementing safety E ver since news of the mosquito- borne Zika virus pandemic across Brazil made headlines in early 2015 and affected individuals traveled state- side, there's been widespread concern around public health and the safety of travelers. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of mid-June there had been 618 travel-associated cases of Zika— 11 of which were sexually transmitted— reported in the country, and 1,114 cases across the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Although there are no known locally acquired infections here in the United States, officials are encouraging measures of their own. While Zika can be passed along by mosquitoes, sexual activity and pregnancy, the virus can also be trans- mitted through blood transfusions, which has raised anxiety among blood donation centers. Because most people who have been infected with the virus don't show any visible symptoms, it's impossible to tell if a blood donor carries the virus without conducting B y S h a n l e y C h i e n laboratory screenings and tests. This has prompted The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center to participate in an Investigational New Drug (IND) Application protocol to test all of the blood donations in its inventory for the Zika virus. As one of the few blood centers in the country to participate in the clinical trial approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), The Blood Center used Roche Molecular Systems' cobas Zika test to screen for the virus. So far, the screening process has been successful and has not detected any cases of Zika in The Blood Center's blood supply, but health officials are still on high alert. "We have been concerned about the possibility for Zika in the area because we are warm and we have mosquitoes," said Susan Rossmann, M.D., chief medical officer of The Blood Center. "When the possibility came up of not being able to collect [blood] if there is Zika in the area, which is what the FDA says, we thought, 'Well, what are the alternatives?' Testing is one of the alternatives." "As a leader in diagnostics, Roche is committed to providing testing solutions for the world's most chal- lenging healthcare emergencies," Uwe Oberlaender, head of Roche Molecular Systems, said in a statement. "With the collaboration of the FDA on this IND, we are able to further expand our commitment to help keep the blood supply safe." The Zika virus spreads through the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is a spe- cies that is also responsible for trans- mitting dengue fever, chikungunya and Susan Rossmann, M.D., operates a polymerase chain reaction machine to demonstrate how the samples are run. AS THE PRIMARY SUPPLIER OF BLOOD IN THE LOCAL AREA, PROVIDING BLOOD DONATIONS FOR MORE THAN 170 HOSPITALS AND HEALTH CARE FACILITIES ACROSS 26 COUNTIES IN THE TEXAS GULF COAST REGION, MAINTAINING THE INTEGRITY OF THE BLOOD SUPPLY IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE FOR THE BLOOD CENTER.