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FDA asked South Florida blood banks to stop taking donations until Zika testing starts

The FDA also recommended that collection centers near the affected counties temporarily stop taking donations, as well.

By Doug G. Ware

MIAMI, July 28 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week asked all blood banks in two South Florida counties to stop accepting donations until they start screening for the Zika virus.

The FDA announced the request on Wednesday, which affected all collection centers in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

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The move was a response to multiple recently diagnosed cases of Zika in the area, which are believed to belong to the nation's first local outbreak of the virus.

RELATED Florida investigates 2 more possible cases of Zika virus local transmission

"These may be the first cases of local Zika virus transmission by mosquitoes in the continental United States," the FDA said in a news release.

"In consideration of the possibility of an emerging local outbreak of Zika virus, and as a prudent measure to help assure the safety of blood and blood products, FDA is requesting that all blood establishments in Miami-Dade County and Broward County cease collecting blood immediately until the blood establishments implement testing of each individual unit of blood," the agency stated.

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A new FDA-approved test to screen blood for Zika will be in use on Friday, officials said.

FDA/Twitter

The Office of the ‎Florida Department of Health State Surgeon General is investigating the source of the new cases in South Florida.

In its advisory bulletin, the FDA also recommended that adjacent and nearby counties also stop collecting blood until the testing begins, in order to "help maintain the safety of the blood supply."

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Additionally, the government recommendation all other blood collection centers defer donations from anyone who has traveled to Miami-Dade or Broward counties in the last four weeks.

Thursday, Dr. Peter Marks, Director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said one of the agency's primary responsibilities is to help ensure the safety of the nation's blood supply.

"The FDA continues to support those regions of the United States at risk of local mosquito-borne Zika transmission that have already started screening their blood supply for Zika virus and encourages other areas at high risk to begin doing so," he said in a statement.

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"In addition to protecting the nation's blood supply, the FDA is prioritizing the development of diagnostic tests that may be useful for identifying infection with the virus, helping to facilitate the development and evaluation of investigational vaccines and therapeutics, and reviewing technology that may help suppress populations of the mosquitoes that can spread the virus."

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