Online Reporter
The Herald 1985
28 May 1985
ALTHOUGH there has been no proved case of Aids (acquired immunity deficiency syndrome) in Zimbabwe the Blood Transfusion Service has already sent more than 1000 random samples abroad for testing for the HTLV III virus and facilities for testing will soon be available locally.
The medical director of the Blood Transfusion Service, Harare, Dr J. C.
Emmanuel, who leaves today on a trip to finalise the contract for the testing, told The Herald yesterday that there had been very small number of reported cases after transfusions of blood in The United States and Western Europe.
“Although very small in number, these cases are of concern. In nearly all cases these transfusions have been from large pool plasma sources, or blood from paid donors.
“The blood transfusion services in Harare and Bulawayo use only voluntary donors and do not use large pool plasma products. Leaflets were displayed on possible connections between Aids and transfusions and donors who were in the high-risk groups had already asked for their names to be withdrawn.
“Aids was first identified in 1981 in the US and subsequently reported in several other parts of the world. In some countries the pattern of transmission does not seem to correspond with that found among patients in the US and Western Europe,” said Dr Emmanuel.
Aids, is characterised by a severe cellular immune deficiency leaving the body defenceless against unusual opportunistic infections and is associated with the virus called HTLV III (human T cell leukaemia virus type III). Diagonistic tests were approved this year in America to test for this virus.
In the US and Western Europe the risk groups are promiscuous homosexuals and intravenous drug abusers, among others, although it has been suggested that in Central Africa the virus is in the heterosexual population.
Donors face no risk when giving blood as the needles used at the transfusion centres are of the disposable type and are used just once. The Aids test will be added to the other tests, such as that for the hepatitis B virus, already used at the centres to ensure that no disease is passed on to a person.
Lessons for today:
The early efforts to test blood samples for the HTLV III virus (now known as HIV) demonstrate the importance of proactive measures in identifying and managing the spread of AIDS. Establishing local testing facilities was and is still crucial for timely diagnosis and intervention.
The use of voluntary blood donors, as opposed to paid donors, helps reduce the risk of transmitting infections through blood transfusions. This practice ensures a safer blood supply.
Understanding the different patterns of AIDS transmission in various regions e.g. heterosexual transmission in Central Africa vs. transmission among high-risk groups in the US and Western Europe is essential for developing targeted prevention strategies.
These lessons underscore the importance of proactive testing, public awareness, safety measures, and understanding regional transmission patterns in effectively managing and containing AIDS.
