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Volume 25, Number 6—June 2019
Perspective

West Nile and Usutu Virus Infections and Challenges to Blood Safety in the European Union

Dragoslav DomanovićComments to Author , Celine M. Gossner, Ryanne Lieshout-Krikke, Wolfgang Mayr, Klara Baroti-Toth, Alina Mirella Dobrota, Maria Antonia Escoval, Olaf Henseler, Christof Jungbauer, Giancarlo Liumbruno, Salvador Oyonarte, Constantina Politis, Imad Sandid, Miljana Stojić Vidović, Johanna J. Young, Inês Ushiro-Lumb, and Norbert Nowotny
Author affiliations: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Solna, Sweden (D. Domanović, C.M. Gossner, J.J. Young); European Blood Alliance, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (R. Lieshout-Krikke); Austrian Red Cross, Vienna, Austria (W. Mayr, C. Jungbauer); National Competent Authority for Blood, Budapest, Hungary (K. Baroti-Toth); National Competent Authority for Blood, Bucharest, Romania [external expert] (A.M. Dobrota); National Competent Authority for Blood, Lisbon, Portugal (M.A. Escoval); Paul Ehrlich Institute, Langen, Germany (O. Henseler); Italian National Blood Centre, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy (G. Liumbruno); National Competent Authority for Blood, Madrid, Spain (S. Oyonarte); Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO), Athens, Greece (C. Politis); National Competent Authority for Blood, Paris, France (I. Sandid); Croatian Institute for Transfusion Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia (M.S. Vidović); National Health Service Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), London, UK (I. Ushiro-Lumb); University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria (N. Nowotny); Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (N. Nowotny)

Main Article

Table 1

Occurrence of locally transmitted or imported cases of West Nile virus infection and blood safety measures by country in the European Union as of August 31, 2018*

Country Affected areas with local transmission cases (measure) Nonaffected areas with imported cases (measure)
Austria + (MP-NAT) 0 (D/MP-NAT†)
Belgium 0 0 (D)
Bulgaria + (D) 0 (D)
Croatia + (ID-NAT‡) 0 (D)
Cyprus 0 0 (D)
Czech Republic 0 0 (D)
Denmark 0 0 (D)
Estonia 0 0 (D)
Finland 0 0 (D)
France + (ID-NAT) 0 (D)
Germany 0 0 (D/MP/ID-NAT†)
Greece + (ID-NAT/D/TSD) + (D)
Hungary + (D) 0 (D)
Ireland 0 + (ID-NAT
Italy + (ID-NAT) + (D/ID-NAT†)
Latvia 0 0 (D)
Lithuania 0 0 (D)
Luxembourg 0 0 (D)
Malta 0 0 (D)
Netherlands 0 + (D)
Poland 0 0 (D)
Portugal + (ID-NAT) 0 (D)
Romania + (2D-NAT†/D/TSD) + (D)
Slovakia 0 0 (D)
Slovenia + (ID-NAT‡) 0 (D)
Spain +(ID-NAT) 0(D)
Sweden 0 +(D)
United Kingdom 0 +(MP-NAT)

*D, 28-d deferral of donors coming from affected areas; ID-NAT, individual donation NAT; 2D-NAT, 2 donations NAT; MP-NAT, minipool NAT; NAT, nucleic acid testing; TSD, temporary stop of donations in the area; +,  presence of cases; 0, absence of cases. More information about data collection in the different European Union countries is provided in the Appendix.
†NAT screening in some blood banks.
‡NAT screening began in the end of summer 2018.

Main Article

Page created: May 20, 2019
Page updated: May 20, 2019
Page reviewed: May 20, 2019
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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