Chinese
man’s illegal blood sales lead to 28 HIV
transmissions

An HIV-positive man in China who made 17 illegal blood sales at the Dehui, China, central blood bank between January 2003 and June 2004 has been identified as the source of 28 new HIV transmissions in the area, reports the China Daily. Health officials began investigating the blood bank in October 2005 after six recipients of blood from the bank died. Police have arrested the director of the bank and 10 of his colleagues for the illegal practice of buying blood from area residents. Another seven officials with the blood bank and the city's health bureau have been removed from their positions or placed on probation. Officials from the blood bank say the HIV-positive man had undergone two previous HIV antibody tests and that his results had been negative, but the Chinese health ministry says it cannot confirm that the man's blood was ever screened. Blood sales were banned in China in 1998. (Advocate.com)