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2017 News Archives

DONOR SCREENING GEO GUIDE UPDATE ISSUED

September 29, 2017

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On September 28, 2017, the CDC updated their revised malaria recommendations for Cyprus and Costa Rica in the online version of the 2018 Yellow Book. The update to our Donor Screening GEO Guide has been finalized and is now in production. Update materials will be shipped to all subscription clients within the next week. Order forms will be distributed to all current non-subscription clients. 

Final hard copy pricing for this update is:

Screening Editions: $75

Reference Editions: $80

Digital version pricing (dependent on program size) has been provided individually.

This update includes:

  • New malaria map of Cyprus

  • Revised malaria map of South Africa

  • Updated malaria reference lists

  • Updated malaria Technical Notes (Reference Edition only)

  • Updated overlay for South Africa (Reference Edition only)

  • Updated Donor Screening GEO Matrix

CDC ISSUES REVISED MALARIA INFORMATION FOR
CYPRUS AND COSTA RICA

September 22, 2017

 

On September 22, 2017 the CDC issued a notification regarding updated malaria information for Cyprus and the Costa Rica. 

 

The CDC's updated information for Cyprus involves recent cases of malaria in persons that had traveled to the town of Esentepe in northern Cyprus. The CDC is recommending anti-malaria chemoprophylaxis for travelers to Esentepe and mosquito avoidance measures for other areas of Cyprus at this time.

 

The CDC's updated information for Costa Rica involves an outbreak of nine cases of malaria in three Costa Rican provinces. The CDC is not recommending anti-malaria chemoprophylaxis for travelers to Costa Rica at this time, but is advising travelers to practice mosquito avoidance.

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This updated information has not yet been published in the online version of the CDC's 2018 Yellow Book.

DONOR SCREENING GEO GUIDE UPDATE ISSUED

August 18, 2017

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Our newest update has been completed and is currently shipping to our subscription clients. Order forms will be distributed to all current non-subscription clients. 

Final hard copy pricing for this update is:

Screening Editions: $105

Reference Editions: $135

Digital version pricing (dependent on program size) has been provided individually.

This update includes:

  • Re-instituted, revised malaria map of Cape Verde

  • Revised malaria map of the Dominican Republic

  • Upgraded, enhanced malaria maps of Afghanistan, Bolivia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guatemala City, Lake Atitlán (Guatemala), Guyana, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Tanzania, & Yemen​

  • Updated malaria reference lists

  • Updated malaria Technical Notes and overlays for the Dominican Republic, India, & Peru (Reference Edition only)

  • Updated information on current Zika transmission areas​

CDC ISSUES REVISED MALARIA INFORMATION FOR
CAPE VERDE AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

August 9, 2017

 

On August 9, 2017 the CDC issued a notification regarding updated malaria information for Cape Verde and the Dominican Republic. 

 

The CDC's updated information for Cape Verde involves an outbreak of malaria cases in the capital city of Praia. The CDC is recommending malaria chemoprophylaxis for travelers to the city of Praia and mosquito avoidance measures for other areas of Cape Verde at this time. The city of Praia now meets the definition of a malaria-endemic area as defined in the FDA's blood guidance on malaria (revised  8/2014).

 

The CDC's updated information for the Dominican Republic involves a reduction in the areas where the CDC is recommending malaria chemoprophylaxis for travelers to the Dominican Republic. The CDC's is now recommending mosquito avoidance instead of malaria chemoprophylaxis for travelers to provinces with the exception of the provinces bordering Haiti, La Altagracia, and Santo Domingo - except the city of Santo Domingo (Distrito Nacional).

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This updated information has been revised in the online version of the CDC's 2018 Yellow Book.

2018 EDITION OF THE CDC YELLOW BOOK PUBLISHED

April 14, 2017

 

Publication of the 2018 Edition of the CDC's Health Information for International Travel, also known as "The Yellow Book", has been confirmed by Oxford University Press, publisher of the 2018 edition.

 

At this point in time the hard copy book is only available directly from Oxford University Press. The Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites both have the book available for pre-order and state that orders will be shipped as soon as the stock is received.

 

Review of the 2018 Yellow Book revealed no significant changes in malaria-endemic areas from the information in the CDC’s online version of the 2016 Yellow Book that was updated in October 2016. This is the first time that publication of a new Yellow Book has not warranted an update to our malaria reference materials.

 

Several additional malaria map enhancements had been planned as part of the 2018 Yellow Book update. Work will continue on these revisions and these will be rolled into the next update when it occurs. The timing of our next update is unknown at this time and will most likely be related to revised guidance from the FDA or changes to information on the CDC’s website. 

DONOR SCREENING GEO GUIDE UPDATE ISSUED

March 28, 2017

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In support of our mission to provide the most accurate and useful resource for determining geographic disease risk, we have updated our reference materials in response to updated malaria information for South Africa issued as a Travel Notice by the CDC on 3/27/2017 and referenced in an update to the CDC’s online version of the 2016 Yellow Book on 3/28/2017.

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This update also establishes a new content section for Ebola Virus information in response to the publication of FDA Guidance for Industry: Recommendations for Assessment of Blood Donor Eligibility, Donor Deferral and Blood Product Management in Response to Ebola Virus on 1/9/2017. While no countries are currently classified with widespread transmission of the Ebola Virus at the current time, the structure and background information of the Ebola section is being put in place ahead of an outbreak. This will allow for Ebola reference materials to be produced and distributed to users more rapidly in the event of an outbreak.

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This update to the Donor Screening GEO Guide has been completed and is now available. Order forms have been distributed to all current non-subscription clients. 

Final hard copy pricing for this update is:

Screening Editions – $80

Reference Editions – $100

Electronic version pricing will be included on your order form if applicable.

CDC ISSUES REVISED MALARIA INFORMATION FOR
TRAVEL TO SOUTH AFRICA

March 28, 2017

 

On March 21, 2017, the CDC issued updated malaria information for South Africa. The CDC's updated information involves the occurrence of malaria cases in three areas located outside of current malaria-endemic areas in South Africa. The CDC is recommending malaria chemoprophylaxis for travelers to one of these areas and mosquito avoidance measures for the other two areas at this time.

 

On March 27, 2017, the CDC issued a Travel Notice for Malaria in South Africa an on March 28, 2017, malaria information for South Africa was updated in the online version of the 2016 Yellow Book to reference the current Travel Notice for South Africa. 

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The area of western Waterberg district in Limpopo province in South Africa now meets the definition of a malaria-endemic area as defined in the FDA's blood guidance on malaria (revised  8/2014).

2017 UPDATE SUBSCRIPTION PRICING RELEASED

February 7, 2017

 

Update pricing for the 2017 subscription year has been determined.

 

Hard Copy Update Subscriptions (per book):

Screening Editions (all versions): $160.00

Reference Editions (all versions): $210.00

 

This pricing applies to the 12 month period from April 1, 2017 through March 31, 2018.

 

Update projections for 2017 included consideration of the following factors:

  • Analysis of 2016 WHO report identified a possible changes in malaria-endemic areas in 10 countries (with an estimated 8 overlays impacted).

  • Anticipated publication of the revised 2018 CDC Yellow Book in May or June of 2017.

  • Incorporation of new Ebola content section based on publication of FDA blood guidance on Ebola in January 2017

  • Planned revision of 15 existing malaria maps to improve resolution of elevation mapping based on data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission.

 

Update subscription pricing for electronic version clients will be provided individually based on each client’s reported 2016 annual collections. If you are an electronic version user, please ensure that your annual reporting form for 2016 has been completed and submitted.

 

Clients that wish to obtain update subscriptions for the first time, please contact us for information.

DONOR SCREENING GEO GUIDE UPDATE STRATEGY FOR EBOLA
January 18 2017

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A new Ebola Virus content section will be added to the Donor Screening GEO Guide with the next update. The goal is to establish the section ahead of time to allow Ebola risk reference materials (i.e., map & revised GEO Matrix)  to be distributed rapidly in the event of an outbreak. This takes into account the FDA guidance's recommended implementation timeline of just 4 weeks for implementation of direct donor screening measures once one or more countries are identified with active transmission.

 

In the event that the next update is due to an Ebola outbreak, the entire section will be issued as soon as possible.

FDA ISSUES FINAL BLOOD GUIDANCE ON EBOLA VIRUS
January 10, 2017

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The FDA has published final guidance for the blood industry, entitled "Recommendations for Assessment of Blood Donor Eligibility, Donor Deferral and Blood Product Management in Response to Ebola Virus". The FDA's donor screening recommendations for Ebola are based on whether or not any countries are classified by the CDC as having widespread transmission of Ebola virus at the time of screening.

 

When no countries are classified as having widespread transmission of Ebola virus, the FDA guidance recommends that blood establishments modify their donor educational materials to instruct donors with a history of Ebola virus infection or disease to not donate blood.

 

When any country is identified with widespread transmission of Ebola virus, the FDA guidance recommends revising the donor history questionnaire and related materials and donor screening process to directly assess potential donors for Ebola Virus risk factors.

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Blood establishments should revise their donor educational materials in accordance with the guidance within 12 weeks. The guidance recommends that direct assessment of potential donors should be implemented within 4 weeks of one or more countries being classified by the CDC as a country with widespread Ebola Virus transmission.

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