§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she takes to safeguard against Leishmaniasis contamination in blood donations from service personnel who have served overseas.
§ Mr. SackvilleAll service personnel returning home after the war in the Gulf, where the condition is endemic, were deferred from donating blood for 12 months. All donors are routinely questioned about foreign travels and any illnesses following that travel. Blood is not taken from potential donors with a history of clinically proven Leishmaniasis. This provides an adequate safeguard against the extremely low risk of transmitting the disease through a donor and there is no known case of its having been transmitted through blood transfusion in this country.