Estimating the Effect of Discontinuing Universal Screening of Donated Blood for Zika Virus in the 50 U.S. States
Authors: W. Alton Russell
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2021)

LettersMay 2021Estimating the Effect of Discontinuing Universal Screening of Donated Blood for Zika Virus in the 50 U.S. StatesW. Alton Russell, MSW. Alton Russell, MSStanford University, Stanford, CaliforniaSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M20-6879 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Background: Most Zika infections are asymptomatic, but about 20% of infected persons develop mild febrile illness. Rarely, Zika can cause 2 serious complications: Guillain–Barré syndrome and congenital Zika syndrome, a pattern of devastating birth defects (1). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandated universal screening of donated blood for Zika virus in 2016 and allowed mini-pooled testing beginning in 2018 (2). A simulation study published in January 2019 estimated that serious complications due to transfusion-transmitted Zika (TT-Zika) were unlikely and that universal screening for Zika was not cost-effective during the first year of screening in the 50 states (3). That ...References1. Musso D, Ko AI, Baud D. Zika virus infection—after the pandemic. N Engl J Med. 2019;381:1444-1457. [PMID: 31597021] doi:10.1056/NEJMra1808246 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Revised recommendations for reducing the risk of Zika virus transmission by blood and blood components; guidance for industry. 28 June 2018. Accessed at www.regulations.gov/document?D=FDA-2016-D-0545-0098 on 20 December 2020. Google Scholar3. Russell WA, Stramer SL, Busch MP, et al. Screening the blood supply for Zika virus in the 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico: a cost-effectiveness analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2019;170:164-174. doi:10.7326/M18-2238 LinkGoogle Scholar4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Topic I: evaluating strategies to reduce the risk of Zika virus (ZIKV) transmission by blood and blood components. Presented at 120th Meeting of the Blood Products Advisory Committee, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20 March 2019. Accessed at www.fda.gov/media/128648/download on 20 December 2020. Google Scholar5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases. Zika virus statistics and maps. Accessed at www.cdc.gov/zika/reporting/index.html on 11 January 2021. Google Scholar6. Russell WA. Code and data for estimating rate of adverse outcomes from transfusion-transmitted Zika in the 50 U.S. states. Zenodo. January 2021. doi:10.5281/zenodo.4068495 Google Scholar7. Kobres PY, Chretien JP, Johansson MA, et al. A systematic review and evaluation of Zika virus forecasting and prediction research during a public health emergency of international concern. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2019;13:e0007451. [PMID: 31584946] doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0007451 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Stanford University, Stanford, CaliforniaSee Also: Editorial comment (page 708) and related article (page 585).Note: No primary human subjects data were involved in this analysis.Acknowledgment: The author thanks Dr. Brian Custer from Vitalant Research Institute and the University of California, San Francisco, for his review of the manuscript and suggested revisions.Financial Support: Mr. Russell was funded by a Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowship.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M20-6879.Reproducible Research Statement: Study protocol: Not available. Statistical code: Available at doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4068495. Data set: The microsimulation uses a data set on posttransfusion survival that is not public. All other data are available at http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4068495.Corresponding Author: W. Alton Russell, MS, Department of Management Science and Engineering, Stanford University, 475 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305; e-mail, [email protected]edu.This article was published at Annals.org on 16 February 2021. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoA Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase 1 Study of Ad26.ZIKV.001, an Ad26-Vectored Anti–Zika Virus Vaccine Nadine C. Salisch , Kathryn E. Stephenson , Kristi Williams , Freek Cox , Leslie van der Fits , Dirk Heerwegh , Carla Truyers , Marrit N. Habets , Diane G. Kanjilal , Rafael A. Larocca , Peter Abbink , Jinyan Liu , Lauren Peter , Carlos Fierro , Rafael A. De La Barrera , Kayvon Modjarrad , Roland C. Zahn , Jenny Hendriks , Conor P. Cahill , Maarten Leyssen , Macaya Douoguih , Johan van Hoof , Hanneke Schuitemaker , and Dan H. Barouch Will We Have the Tools to Address a Reemergent Zika Virus Epidemic? Ann Chahroudi and Sallie Permar Will We Have the Tools to Address a Reemergent Zika Virus Epidemic? Ann Chahroudi and Sallie Permar A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase 1 Study of Ad26.ZIKV.001, an Ad26-Vectored Anti–Zika Virus Vaccine Nadine C. Salisch , Kathryn E. Stephenson , Kristi Williams , Freek Cox , Leslie van der Fits , Dirk Heerwegh , Carla Truyers , Marrit N. Habets , Diane G. Kanjilal , Rafael A. Larocca , Peter Abbink , Jinyan Liu , Lauren Peter , Carlos Fierro , Rafael A. De La Barrera , Kayvon Modjarrad , Roland C. Zahn , Jenny Hendriks , Conor P. Cahill , Maarten Leyssen , Macaya Douoguih , Johan van Hoof , Hanneke Schuitemaker , and Dan H. Barouch Metrics May 2021Volume 174, Issue 5Page: 728-730KeywordsBloodDisclosureGraduate medical educationHematologic testsQuality adjusted life yearsRisk managementSafetySerious adverse eventsTransfusion medicineZika virus ePublished: 16 February 2021 Issue Published: May 2021 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2021 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...