Date:06/01/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/01/06/stories/2006010618660400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

NAT to screen donated blood

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: The Manipal Hospital Blood Bank has introduced Nucleic Acid Technology (NAT) Minipool for screening donated blood, the first such facility in the region.

With this technology, the hospital can screen for common communicable diseases and make blood transfusion safe for patients.

"The advantage of Nucleic Acid Technology is that an infection in the donor blood can now be picked up as early as three days post-infection, thus preventing the recipient from becoming infected with HIV or hepatitis,'' Vijay Sharma, molecular biologist at the hospital, said.