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Article: West Nile season steps up pace.(News)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Medical Laboratory Observer
- Article date:
- August 1, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Nelson Publishing. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Starting in July, the entire U.S. donated blood supply is being screened for the West Nile virus, using two tests, one developed by Gen-Probe Inc. in San Diego and one by Roche Molecular Systems in Pleasanton, CA. These donor-screening tests are available to blood-collection centers under FDA-approved procedures, and are being implemented to aid in preventing contaminated blood from entering the nation's blood supply. At least three samples of West Nile virus-tainted blood had been discovered as of July 15 with such screening methods.
On July 7, the first human case of the West Nile virus this year was confirmed in a 65-year-old avid outdoorsman from 0conee ...