Headline
Publication Date November 9, 2016 | Fayetteville Observer

Zika virus taking toll on blood donations at Fort Bragg

United States
Capt. Joshua Kuper, chief of Blood Services at the Fort Bragg Blood Donor Center, on Nov. 7 2016. He say smore donors are needed because the Zika virus has imposed limitations on the supply of blood. Photo: Paul Woolverton
Capt. Joshua Kuper, chief of Blood Services at the Fort Bragg Blood Donor Center, on Nov. 7 2016. He say smore donors are needed because the Zika virus has imposed limitations on the supply of blood. Photo: Paul Woolverton

A federal directive to test for the Zika virus has made it challenging for Fort Bragg to collect blood - and officials are calling on donors to step up.

Fort Bragg's Blood Donor Center, which used to accept blood from bases in Virginia and South Carolina, is restricted to donations within North Carolina borders while it's under a directive to test for the Zika virus. The center is in urgent need of blood types O-negative and O-positive.

"Since the FDA mandated we do Zika testing on all blood products, we are currently restricted to North Carolina," said Capt. Joshua Kuper, immunohaematologist at the donor center. "We knew right away this is going to be a very big deal."

A federal directive to test for the Zika virus has made it challenging for Fort Bragg to collect blood - and officials are calling on donors to step up.

Fort Bragg's Blood Donor Center, which used to accept blood from bases in Virginia and South Carolina, is restricted to donations within North Carolina borders while it's under a directive to test for the Zika virus. The center is in urgent need of blood types O-negative and O-positive.

"Since the FDA mandated we do Zika testing on all blood products, we are currently restricted to North Carolina," said Capt. Joshua Kuper, immunohaematologist at the donor center. "We knew right away this is going to be a very big deal."

 

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