West Nile and the blood supply
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that authorities that area have recalled all blood donated during the late summer of 2002 after it was found that 13 people had contracted West Nile Virus from blood transfusions, three with a fatal result.
This will be a growing problem next year and in the next few years. The WNV epidemic will waxe and wane with the seasons, as do other insect-transmitted diseases, but it will be more widespread with each season until our population has been able to build up an immunity to the virus. In the meantime, since there is no way to test for the virus in blood, the blood supply will be one more avenue for the transmission of the disease.
Fortunately, the WNV is not fatal for the large majority of victims.
7:00:32 AM 
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