Experts examine problems and advances in blood supply safety and screening

Some 14 million units of blood are transfused in the US every year. Routine blood screening protocols test for several common pathogens, including Hepatitis B and C, HIV types 1 and 2, and syphilis, but not others such as XMRV, a retrovirus that has been linked to chronic fatigue syndrome. A symposium at the New York Academy of Sciences on March 29 will reveal recent advances in the testing and screening of the blood supply, diagnose the current problems, and explore future efforts to maximize the safety of this vital resource.

WHAT:
A Scientific Symposium: Pathogens in the Blood Supply

WHO:

Organizers

Lorrence H. Green, PhD, Westbury Diagnostics

Jennifer S. Henry, PhD, The New York Academy of Sciences

Speakers

Gail Moskowitz, MD, Healthcare Consultant

Susan L. Stramer, PhD, American Red Cross

W. Ian Lipkin, MD, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University

Judy A. Mikovits, PhD, Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease

Debra Kessler, RN, MS, New York Blood Center

Sanjai Kumar, PhD, FDA

WHEN:
Tuesday, March 29, 2011 | 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Networking Reception to Follow

WHERE:
The New York Academy of Sciences

7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich St., 40th floor, New York, NY

This symposium is presented by Academy's Emerging Infectious Diseases & Microbiology Discussion Group and the Translational Medicine Initiative with support from the Josiah Macy Jr Foundation and the Mushett Family Foundation, and sponsorship from the New York Blood Center and Cerus Corporation.

Provided by New York Academy of Sciences