“We have a stock of barely 1 day”: why mosquitoes force the Red Cross to launch a “super urgent” call to blood donation?

Red cross blood stocks fell to a “very critical” level due to tiger mosquitoes and travel related to travel. Meanwhile, A “super urgent” call for donations is launched. &#13. In addition,

Mosquitoes currently have a heavy impact on the activities of the Belgian Red Cross blood service, which launched a “super urgent” call on Wednesday. Therefore, The stocks collapsed in a few days to reach a “very critical” level.

“It is not at all normal. Consequently, we should have many more bins that are present in this area, especially in negative groups such as the O- or A-, where we should theoretically have a stock of 5 to 7 days and currently we have a stock which is barely 1 day,” said Nicolas de “we have stock barely 1 Valensart, responsible for the blood preparation laboratory.

In two weeks. Similarly, the contraindications (and therefore a refusal to donation) linked to travel and the presence of tiger mosquitoes have also doubled. Furthermore, This kind of insect is no longer satisfied with tropical regions. It has adapted to the European climate and spreads in particular in France.

However. it transports blood-transferable diseases (chikungunya, dengue, western Nile virus) which can have a serious impact for fragile people, recalls the bloodstream service of the Red Cross. But they are impossible to detect.

“Currently. we do not have a test at our disposal to check the presence of the virus in the blood of “we have stock barely 1 the donors and therefore we are forced to exclude from the donation for 28 days the people who return from regions where chikungunya is present. And so, we lose a gift since the person could not make their blood donation, ”continues Nicolas de Valensart.

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If the “exceptional” mobilization of donors at the beginning of summer made it possible to constitute a sufficient stock to hold until mid-August despite the constraints linked to mosquitoes, this is no longer the case. “The stock is unfortunately very difficult to maintain when we are struck by such a rapid epidemiological evolution which forces us to contraindicate the many donors to return from vacation. Additionally, ” explains Geneviève “we have stock barely 1 Mathy, director general of the blood service.

Are thus for the moment refused to donate all travelers returning from the south of France. but also for example from Alsace, or who have traveled these regions by car to reach Italy and Spain. Anyone who has stayed. transit in a risk area must wait minimum 28 days before being able to give blood, plasma or platelets.

This spacing is likely to have an impact until the end of September. according to the blood service, which therefore launches a call for the population, and particularly to healthy people and “we have stock barely 1 not having traveled this summer in the risk regions. “Negative blood groups are under extreme tension in just a few days. and particularly the negatives, highly requested by hospitals,” it’s still details.

The Blood Service invites each donor to consult the updated list of the areas concerned on the site givesurdesang.be before going in collection, in order to avoid any refusal on site.

"we have stock barely 1 – "we have stock barely 1

Refusal to hospitals

The Red Cross must already refuse certain requests for hospitals. She must best manage her low stock remaining for another two and a half weeks. Donations are expected to reugment in mid-September when the regular donors who went on vacation have finished their forties.