FDA / CDC Warn Against Blood Donations by Those Possibly Exposed to Tick-Borne Illnesses
As a precautionary measure, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are advising that individuals who underwent training at the Fort Chaffee, Arkansas military base during the months of April through June 1997 and have subsequently donated blood or plasma within four weeks after leaving the base should immediately notify the blood or plasma establishment where the donation occurred.
These establishments need to be informed that these National Guardsmen may have been exposed to tick-borne pathogens which could possibly be transmitted through blood transfusion. If notified, blood establishments should take immediate steps to retrieve the potentially affected blood and blood components intended for transfusion. CDC and FDA will continue to actively monitor the situation.
In addition, both agencies are renewing their warning that all individuals who underwent training at this facility during the months of April through June, 1997 should not donate blood within four weeks of their departure.
Earlier this month certain blood products collected at Fort Chaffee were recalled from six states as a precautionary measure because donors of these products may have been exposed to tick-borne pathogens. To date, CDC has serologically confirmed Rocky Mountain spotted fever in one ill guardsman, and has preliminary results of additional infections by spotted fever rickettsia and Ehrlichia in guardsmen who returned from Fort Chaffee.
Subsequent evaluation of this incident by CDC and FDA has revealed that on at least four occasions individuals who might have been exposed to these tick diseases during training at Fort Chaffee donated blood at other establishments. The likelihood that an individual who has received a transfusion recently in the United States that was obtained from one of these National Guardsmen is extremely low. CDC does not have any reports of illness among persons who received blood components from National Guardsmen that could likely be attributable to a tick-borne illness.
Health professionals should report any adverse events associated with these products to MedWatch, FDA's adverse reporting program, at 1-800-FDA-1088 and to their blood bank.
Date: 7/18/97
Related Information:
Recall of Blood Products In Six States Due to Risk of Tick-Borne Illnesses