Issued 21 October 2020
Notice for
• Designated Individuals in the Human Application sector
• Licence contacts in the Organ Donation and Transplantation sector
Scope
This alert is being issued by the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) and includes information about a recent case of West Nile Virus (WNV) in an individual in the Netherlands.
Please circulate this information to staff within your establishment undertaking activities which may be affected by this notice.
Issue
On 21 October 2020, The Netherlands - Dutch Health Care Inspectorate created an alert on the EU Rapid Alert on Substances of Human Origin platform of one male confirmed case of locally acquired West Nile Virus infection. The case coincides with the discovery of WNV in birds and mosquitos in the Utrecht region in August and September 2020.
Action taken by the HTA
The HTA has issued this alert to all UK establishments that handle human tissues and cells for human application or are involved in solid organ transplantation to raise awareness of potential WNV transmission from donors to recipients.
Actions for establishments
This alert is to ensure that all establishments are aware of the recent reports of WNV and can review their donor selection and evaluation procedures accordingly.
Up-to-date information on cases of WNV in Europe can be found on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s website.
Information on updated JPAC guidance can be found on JPAC's website.