The World Health Organisation on Thursday advised countries against accepting blood donations from people who had travelled to regions affected by the Zika virus.
“With the risk of incidence of new infections of Zika virus in many countries, and the potential linkage of the Zika virus infection with microcephaly and other clinical consequence, it is estimated as an appropriate precautionary measures to defer donors who return from areas with Zika virus outbreak,” the WHO told AFP in a statement.
Canada and Britain have already moved to protect their blood supplies.
Canadian blood agencies earlier Wednesday announced that anyone who had travelled to a Zika-risk area will be ineligible to give blood for three weeks upon their return.
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