Interim recommendations for deferral of donors at increased risk for HIV-1 Group O infection; guidance document; availability--FDA. Notice.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a guidance document entitled "Interim Recommendations for Deferral of Donors at Increased Risk for HIV-1 Group O Infection," dated December 11, 1996. The guidance document, which discusses the appearance in 1996 of two cases of HIV-1 Group O infection in the United States, is intended to provide interim measures to reduce the risk of HIV-1 Group O transmission by blood and blood products pending the licensure of test kits specifically labeled for detection of antibodies to HIV-1 Group O viruses. The guidance document recommends adding three questions to screening questionnaires used to exclude donors at high risk of HIV-1 infection.