The Belgian Red Cross has made an urgent plea for blood donations in light of the increasing presence of the tiger mosquito across Europe, which restricts the pool of eligible donors, as reported by Euractiv.
Warmer winters, elevated temperatures, and prolonged summers are facilitating the spread of mosquito-transmitted illnesses on the continent, which is rapidly emerging as a notable public health issue.
In Belgium, the Red Cross has proclaimed a state of emergency due to the escalating incidence of the tiger mosquito, known to carry diseases such as chikungunya, dengue fever, and West Nile virus.
“The current circumstances compel the Red Cross to implement stringent measures to avert patient infections, including the temporary exclusion of individuals returning from vacations in low-risk regions,” the organization stated.
Donation refusal rates after travel have nearly doubled over the last fortnight, and the list of impacted areas has broadened. Although the Red Cross has been screening donated blood for the West Nile virus since the previous summer, it currently lacks the capacity to identify other viruses carried by mosquitoes.
Individuals who have remained in or passed through a risk area must wait a minimum of 28 days post-return before they can donate blood, plasma, or platelets.
The tiger mosquito has proliferated into 16 European nations and over 300 regions.
“If they intend to donate to assist those in need, regrettably, they will have to wait to eliminate any risk,” remarked Geneviève Mathy, general manager of the Red Cross Blood Service.
Nonetheless, individuals who have not visited high-risk areas this summer are urged to donate blood to satisfy hospital requirements, as blood supplies “have dwindled like snow in the sun,” as described by the Belgian Red Cross.
This year has seen unprecedented surges in infections from the West Nile virus and diseases linked to the chikungunya virus, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The tiger mosquito is now present in 16 European countries and 369 regions – up from only 114 a decade prior, according to the ECDC.
