The Nation : Leukemia Threat Found in Transfusions

Blood transfusions in the United States carry a small but “not insignificant” chance of transmitting a virus that has been closely linked to a particularly vicious type of adult leukemia, according to an American Red Cross screening of the nation’s blood supply. As a result of the study, Red Cross experts are recommending that all donated blood be screened for the leukemia virus as soon as scientists can develop an effective and practical confirming test. Alan E. Williams, a research scientist at the Red Cross laboratory in Rockville, Md., said the virus, called human T-lymphotropic virus type I, or HTLV-1, was found in 10 samples out of more than 39,800 blood units tested in eight cities across America. The virus is linked to adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that is usually fatal within six months.