Two Contract HIV From Donation

AP | 7/19/02

[kattracks]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Jul 19, 2002 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- Two people have contracted HIV from blood transfusions provided by a regional blood bank that failed to detect an infected donor, officials said.

The incident marks the second time since the nation's blood banks implemented new screening technology in 1999 that HIV has been transmitted through a transfusion, according to Florida Blood Services. The first case infected a man in San Antonio, Texas, in September.

The victims, one young adult and one in the mid-60s, were told Wednesday they contracted HIV from blood and plasma transfusions in Hillsborough and Pinellas county hospitals, according to Florida Blood Services, which processed the blood.

The donor gave infected blood on May 11, but had contracted the disease so recently that tests did not detect it, said German LeParc, chief medical officer for the blood bank. The virus takes seven to 10 days to build up sufficiently for detection.

When the donor returned to give blood again May 30, it tested positive for HIV and that donation was destroyed, LeParc said. The donor was notified and officials began tracking down patients who received the previous donation.

Experts said the chance of getting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, from donated blood is one in 2 million to 3 million transfusions, and they stress that the nation's blood supply remains very safe.

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On the Net:

Florida Blood Services: http://www.fbsblood.org

Copyright 2002 Associated Press, All rights reserved

[SarahW]

Why do high-risk folk insist on donating blood?

[Dudoight]

There were professional 'donors' who got paid for their blood. This particular 'donor' was obviously making regular 'donations'. I wonder if the 'donor' was paid? Authorities should be suspicious of regular 'donors' who get paid. If donating is a regular source of income....it speaks loudly for the 'lifestyle' of the 'donor'. Should be outlawed.

[Demidog]

They would be real troubled if HIV had anything to do with AIDS.

[Demidog]

they never report anything that will make the Saintly Gays look bad.

How does anything in this story make gays look bad?

[Don Joe]

"I am wondering why this indivual attempted to donate again a mere 2 weeks later. I am thinking they knew something was up and was using the screening done by the blood bank to confirm."

It wouldn't be the first time.

I've heard of people who used blood donations as a "free HIV test". Scares the crap out of me, and it's one big reason I refused transfusions for close to a week, as medicos from two hospitals browbeat me (literally) day and night.

I developed a "this'll shut you up" technique that I used to reply to their insistance that I was being silly because it was so safe.

I asked, is it really safe? They of course smiled and said of course it's really safe.

I said well that's good to know, but I just have one more question. What, I asked, would you do if while you were injecting that donor blood into my arm, a drop of it managed to splash onto your arm?

The respons was always the same: "I'd stop what I was doing and go scrub down, of course!"

I then replied, "Hmm, so let me see if I have this right: the donor blood is 'safe enough' to put into my veins, but it's too dangerous to let even sprinkle onto your skin? I think I'll pass."

[Musket]

How does anything in this story make gays look bad?

This too you have to ask? Are you sure you're in the right forum? Gays brought AIDS to America. And they are the primary way it is spread. Yeesh.

[Demidog]

Gays brought AIDS to America.

BS.

[FormerLib]

Only the 2nd incident since 1999. That is impressive.

Ok, so nobody that you give a crap about has been injured.

[FormerLib]

How does anything in this story make gays look bad?

Perhaps it has something to do with homosexuals being the HIV carriers in the overwhelming majority of the cases in the US?

[FormerLib]

Either, the donor lied about high-risk behavior or the agency didn't ask the questions. Someone's liable for 2 counts of attempted murder, IMHO.

[Musket]

Gays brought AIDS to America.

BS.

O.K. Don't keep me in suspense any longer. What's the real story? I've got my tinfoil hat here at the ready.....

[Desdemona]

"How does anything in this story make gays look bad?
This too you have to ask? Are you sure you're in the right forum? Gays brought AIDS to America. "

If I remember right, it's been traced to a single individual who was a switch hitter and an IV drug user who picked it up somewhere on the trade routes in Central Africa. It's been there forever. I've also heard that historically, this is not the first time HIV has gotten loose.

Yes, the time limit is 56 days. This is a FEDERAL law for the health of the donor. The Red Cross does rely heavily on repeat donors because many people are reluctant to give for one reason or another. I worked in a local branch and they have to husstle to get donors.

As someone who cannot donate, for many reasons, a big thank you to those who do.

[Musket]

...been traced to a single individual who was a switch hitter and an IV drug user who picked it up somewhere on the trade routes in Central Africa.

That qualifies as Gay to me. I seem to remember hearing that the guy was quite a slut too. Now surely you can't argue that it was spread from him through the U.S. primarily through Gay sex.

[TBall]

If you want to get freaked out because there have been two contamination incidents since 1999 then go ahead.

[Desdemona]

Well, it would depend, wouldn't it, on where such sluty gay sex took place. This guy was on the east coast, I remember that much. I was a little kid at the time, but in the late '70's early '80's Key West and Provincetown, Mass were big congregating places. Promiscuity was the norm. Realistically, that's probably how it spread.

No arguments. Just a few little facts. And yes, homosexuals ARE generous blood donors.

[Dimensio]

And yes, homosexuals ARE generous blood donors.

I don't know of any homosexual blood donors. The homosexual men I've met won't donate because they know that it is illegal for them to do so (unless they've never had sex).

[Demidog]

The real story is that HIV hasn't been shown to cause AIDS. AIDS is a syndrome which is defined differently depending on which country is in control of the definitions. Some exemplary scholars believe that HIV itself is a harmless retrovirus that is transmitted any number of ways but doesn't itself cause AIDS.

[Bogey78O]

I was thinking the same thing.

[Democratic_Machiavelli]

VIP (Very Important Ping)

[RAT Patrol]

Wasn't there a campaign a while back to end discrimination against gays trying to donate blood?