Sept. 3, 2025 7 AM PT
To the editor: This text (“Chagas disease, long considered only a threat abroad, is established in California and the Southern U.S.,” Sept. 1) states that “most individuals discover out they’ve the illness solely after making an attempt to donate blood.” It’s not often checked for in routine well being screenings. Along with Chagas, American Pink Cross additionally screens blood donations for different infectious ailments including HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Syphilis, West Nile virus and Zika virus, together with different assessments of a donor’s well being equivalent to sickle cell for African American donors. If any of those are found, the Pink Cross will contact the donor, advocate they see their physician and supply the findings to the physician.
My level? A blood donor might not solely save the life of somebody who wants blood. They could additionally save their very own.
Larry Macedo, West Hills
