EU Commission considering extending deferral period for organ, blood donors who leave area with WNV.Responding to data released by the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. ) Blood Product Advisory Committee, an expert committee of the European Commission (EU) is considering extending the deferral period for organs used for transplant and blood donors who leave an area with ongoing transmission of West Nile Virus West Nile virus, microorganism and the infection resulting from it, which typically produces no symptoms or a flulike condition. The virus is a flavivirus and is related to a number of viruses that cause encephalitis. (WNV WNV West Nile Virus WNV World Net Visions ) from 28 days to 56 days. The FDA advisory committee released data indicating that infectious WNV particles may linger in the blood of the infected person for up to 49 days after the onset of infection. A request seeking an updated opinion on WNV containment measures has been made to the EU's Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR SCENIHR Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (European Commission) ). "In light of an increase in WNV infections in humans in Portugal and potential similar situations in other European areas, the inclusion of these areas of a time-limited donor deferral donor deferral Transfusion medicine The nonacceptance of a potential donor based on lifestyle criteria or prior exposures to pathogens. See Donor exclusion criteria. pursuant to Directive 2004/33/EC and the introduction of testing for WNV may need to be reevaluated," the request said. The "terms of reference Terms of reference allude to a mutual agreement under which a command, element, or unit exercises authority or undertakes specific missions or tasks relative to another command, element, or unit. Also called TORs. " of the request stated: "In light of recent evidence, the SCENIHR is requested to review the previous scientific opinion of the Scientific Committee on Medicinal Products and Medical Devices 'on the impact of arthropod arthropod Any member of the largest phylum, Arthropoda, in the animal kingdom. Arthropoda consists of more than one million known invertebrate species in four subphyla: Uniramia (five classes, including insects), Chelicerata (three classes, including arachnids and horseshoe borne diseases (WNV) on the safety of blood used for transfusion as well as organs used for transplantation in the European Community' as adopted on 16 October 2003 (SANCO/SCMPMD/2003/00025) in light of the new information. The Committee is also asked to assess: *The potential impact on the blood supply of introducing additional deferral criteria *The impact on the use of tissues and cells used in therapy. The SCENIHR is also requested to examine new scientific evidence and adopt an opinion on the impact of the risk of transmission of WNV through blood transfusion from infected donors beyond the current deferral period for 4 weeks." The full report is available online at: www.europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_risk/committees/04_scenihr/scenihr_questions_en.htm. |
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