Originally Posted by
Mileage Lover
Hi,
Just donated another pint on 12/29.
I'm heading to South Africa this spring and was told that Kruger National Park is on the list that will prevent me from donating for a year, That means one more pint before I leave and then a hiatus.
Bummed about the waiting period, Is it just American Red Cross that has that restriction or is that pretty universal, even though I will be taking the recommended anti-malarials?
It’s pretty common to restrict those who have been exposed to mosquitoes carrying the Plasmodium malaria parasites, particularly the P. falciparum variety, from donating blood for a period of time. It’s not the antimalarials, it’s the risk of transmitting the blood borne malaria parasite - which can essentially have a dormant stage and be asymptomatic for periods of time. And very few donation centers have the ability to screen for plasmodia.
Plasmodium life cycle (US CDC)