Transfusions and transplants spread West Nile virus
By Ben Harder
From Atlanta, at a meeting of the CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service
Donated blood and organs should be screened to prevent transmission of West Nile virus, federal officials say. In addition to bites from infected mosquitoes, which is the most common route of infection in both people and animals, blood and transplanted organs can also spread the virus, two recent investigations indicate.
West Nile virus transmission has also been linked to breast-feeding, but children are less likely than older adults to get sick from the virus (See West Nile Worries Are No Reason to Give Up Breast-feeding).