No Need to Fear Zika Virus

ČSH

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the Zika virus as a public health emergency of international concern. It defines it as "an extraordinary event that threatens public health through the international spread of disease and potentially requires a coordinated international response." WHO estimates that up to four million people worldwide could be affected this year. It is linked to thousands of suspected cases of birth defects in Brazil. It is spread by bites from infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, after which the virus enters the bloodstream.

It is relatively large at 40 nm with a lipid envelope, thus providing a high probability that it will be successfully inactivated by heat, detergents, and nanofiltration methods used in the manufacture of plasma-derived medicinal products. Including FVIII and FIX concentrates, the transmission of infection through blood components is therefore more of a potential problem. Possible transmission is only through blood from donors returning from affected areas. That is why experts believe that a temporary deferral of 28 days is appropriate for donors who have travelled to affected areas.

The virus was first discovered in the Zika forest in Uganda in 1947 and is common in Africa and Asia. In May 2015, it began spreading from Brazil to what are now 21 countries in South and Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. 60-80% of those infected have no symptoms, and most others experience only mild ones. They primarily suffer from fever and muscle pain, rash, and red eyes. However, there is a major concern regarding the potential impact on pregnant women. Last year, Brazil recorded a significant increase in cases of microcephaly (abnormally small brain) in newborns, with suspected links to Zika virus infection in the pregnant mother.

There has also been an increase in cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, probably as an immune response to the virus. Unofficial reports mention transmission through blood transfusion and sexual contact; cases of Zika virus have been reported from several countries in people who travelled to affected countries, particularly Brazil.

The World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) is monitoring the situation and will provide immediate information should any suspicion of a potential Zika virus risk in plasma-derived coagulation products arise.