The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released an advisory to prevent Zika transmission through donated human cells and tissues such as heart valves, umbilical cord blood, corneas, semen, placentas, amniotic membrane, stem cells, bone and skin.

The recommendations are part of FDA's efforts to help prevent Zika virus contamination in human blood, tissue and cellular products. Since the virus' appearance in Brazil last day, Zika has spread to approximately 36 countries and territories, majority of which are in the Americas.

While there is more to learn about the virus transmission, the FDA believes they need to address the possibility of Zika transmissions through human tissues and cells based on the data they currently have in relation to similar viruses, said FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research director Peter Marks.

According to the new FDA advisory, donors diagnosed with Zika infection should be ineligible to donate human cells and tissues. Individuals who had sex with a male diagnosed with Zika infection or who came from active outbreak areas within the last six months should also be disallowed for donation.

Deceased donors who were diagnosed with Zika infection in the last six months of life should also be ineligible to donate tissue and cells. The FDA highlighted that the six-month timeline was decided based on the available but limited data on how long the Zika can survive in human tissues.

While the Zika virus primarily spreads through mosquito bites, there is currently ongoing evidence that the virus can also be transmitted sexually through the semen of an infected male.

In late February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S. said there are six cases of confirmed Zika infections linked to probable sexual transmissions from male travelers to female non-travelers. Therefore, the FDA advisory included semen in the list.  

Also last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Zika as an international health emergency issue.

Moreover, the FDA prioritizes the creation of diagnostic tests and blood donor screenings that could help in the identification of present and recent Zika infections. The development of new technologies that could help suppress the population of Zika-carrying mosquitoes also remains a top priority.

Photo : U.S. Department of Agriculture | Flickr