Individuals with Herpes Can Donate Blood

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M2slo2cht@nospam.invalid - 03 May 2004 16:02 GMT

I've been thinking about asking somebody at the Red Cross why they
DON'T allow blood donations during outbreaks. I can't think of a one.
The drug thing I can understand, but not having an outbreak since
there is no virus in the blood during an outbreak, same as any other
time. Higher antibody level maybe ... but what the heck? Haven't
written yet though because I'm expecting the standard brush off reply,
or no reply at all. Anyhow, just thought I'd ask for a technical
explanation here first if anybody happens to have one.
ASHA website writes:
"According to the American Red Cross, individuals taking antiviral
medication (acyclovir, valacyclovir, famciclovir) for any reason will
need to wait 48 hours after their last dose before donating blood. The
American Red Cross also defers individuals who are currently
experiencing an outbreak of oral herpes ("cold sores") or genital
herpes to not donate blood"

M2

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Angela S. - 03 May 2004 23:11 GMT

I'm wondering if ASHA would know why?

By the way... did you get your copy of the newsletter yet?

If so, what did you think?

Angela
www.yoshi2me.com

> I've been thinking about asking somebody at the Red Cross why they
> DON'T allow blood donations during outbreaks. I can't think of a one.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>
> M2

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M2slo2cht@nospam.invalid - 04 May 2004 01:48 GMT

Yoshi2me writes:

>I'm wondering if ASHA would know why?

Figgered I'd write them if nobody here knows and I don't hear from the
Red Cross.

>By the way... did you get your copy of the newsletter yet?

Yes indeedy; I sure did ;-)

>If so, what did you think?

Kewl !! :-)
check your email :-)

M2

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Angela S. - 04 May 2004 14:56 GMT

Thanks M2!

Angela :-)

> Yoshi2me writes:
> >I'm wondering if ASHA would know why?
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> M2

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Tim Fitzmaurice - 06 May 2004 11:36 GMT

> I've been thinking about asking somebody at the Red Cross why they
> DON'T allow blood donations during outbreaks. I can't think of a one.
> The drug thing I can understand, but not having an outbreak since
> there is no virus in the blood during an outbreak, same as any other
> time. Higher antibody level maybe ... but what the heck? Haven't

I would assume its part of the whole 'in good health' thing, extrapolated
to specify oral and genital herpes types. As a guess I would suggest
its becuase of the whole triggering of the immediate responses from the
cell mediated immune system as well as theinflammatory pathways meanign
there are all sorts of immune stimulating chemicals athigher levels than
they woudl like in the blood during an outbreak; cytokines, inflammatory
mediators that sort of thing. That said I cant see why they would
specifically mention herpes (Im assuming this has come up because they did
mention it specifically out side of a 'Are you currently ill' type
questions). My wife is donating blood tomorrow so I'll look at her
questionnaire and see if she'll ask the nurses when she goes to see if
there is a difference between the US organisation and the UK Blood
Transfusion Service.

Tim
--
When playing rugby, its not the winning that counts, but the taking apart
ICQ: 5178568

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M2slo2cht@nospam.invalid - 06 May 2004 12:28 GMT

Tim writes:

>As a guess I would suggest its becuase of the whole triggering of
>the immediate responses from the cell mediated immune system
>as well as theinflammatory pathways meanign there are all sorts
>of immune stimulating chemicals athigher levels than they woudl
>like in the blood during an outbreak; cytokines, inflammatory
>mediators that sort of thing.

Sounds reasonable to me. Maybe that stuff could harm someone in
unusual health situation. I wonder what it would do for a normal
healthy person though. Seems like it might even help protect them from
hsv for a short time. I'm sure someone has already checked into that
one though (at least I *hope* so).

>That said I cant see why they would
>specifically mention herpes (Im assuming this has come up because they did
>mention it specifically out side of a 'Are you currently ill' type
>questions).

Not sure how/why the subject happened to come up as "News" on the
National Herpes Resource Center on the ASHA site. But here's the page
where I found it. Click on the second item of the "In the News"
section ("Individuals with herpes can donate blood").
I don't think it's a new policy but maybe it's a restatement of an old
one brought on by a FAQs. or something. <shrug> I dunno.

http://www.ashastd.org/hrc/index.html

>My wife is donating blood tomorrow so I'll look at her
>questionnaire

That'll be interesting to see.

M2

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Tim Fitzmaurice - 06 May 2004 12:49 GMT

> Tim writes:
> >As a guess I would suggest its becuase of the whole triggering of
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Sounds reasonable to me. Maybe that stuff could harm someone in
> unusual health situation.

Well with any person whose body is in balance enough to require a
transfusion it could add to the problems. If you are doing a transplant
the last thing you need is to kick off extra immune reactions. In the case
of transfusion for pernicious anaemias again more signalling just is a
worry, at least potentially. These things are another element out of your
control and blood transfusion of any kind carries risks and you don't
want to add to them even if you can't exactly quantify them and so
eliminate them as risks or control them.

> >My wife is donating blood tomorrow so I'll look at her
> >questionnaire
>
> That'll be interesting to see.

I'll see if I can get a photocopy of it.

Tim
--
When playing rugby, its not the winning that counts, but the taking apart
ICQ: 5178568

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