Blood Donations Should Be Screened For Zika, FDA Says 
 
 Enlarge this image toggle caption Toby Talbot/AP Toby Talbot/AP 
 
 The Food and Drug Administration is recommending that blood banks screen all blood donations in the U.S. for the Zika virus. Previously, the FDA only advised screening in areas with active Zika cases, such as parts of Florida and throughout Puerto Rico. There are a total of 2,517 cases of Zika in the U.S. states and D.C., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with 9,011 more in U.S. territories. Most of the cases within the continental U.S. involved individuals who contracted the virus while traveling in another country, while most of the Puerto Rico cases were locally acquired. Although most people infected with the virus never develop symptoms, an infection during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects and is associated with other adverse pregnancy outcomes, the FDA warns. Around 2,200 Zika cases have been reported in the continental U.S. and more than 13,000 in Puerto Rico, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “At this time, the recommendation for testing the entire blood supply will help ensure that safe blood is available for all individuals who might need transfusion," said Peter Marks, the director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a statement.
– The FDA is getting even more serious about stopping the spread of Zika, recommending Friday that all blood donations in the US be screened for the virus, USA Today reports. Previously, it had recommended screening donations only in areas where Zika was spreading—mostly Florida and Puerto Rico. According to NPR, none of the more than 2,000 Zika cases in the continental US have come from tainted blood transfusions, but at least one unit of donated blood in Florida tested positive for the virus. “At this time, the recommendation for testing the entire blood supply will help ensure that safe blood is available for all individuals who might need transfusion," says an FDA statement. Eleven states are asked to start testing their blood donations within the next four weeks. Those are: Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, and Texas. The rest are asked to start testing within 12 weeks.