Donating Blood After Overseas Travel
Blood Donors who have travelled overseas may be at risk for certain infections (e.g. Malaria, West Nile Virus, Chagas Disease, etc.) that can be transmitted through blood donation. For this reason, blood donors must provide accurate information (e.g travel dates, name of the place where the donor stayed, etc.) regarding their travel history when filling up the donor questionnaire and during the medical interview.
Malaria
Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite called Plasmodium. The parasite is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. It can also spread through transfusion of blood infected with malaria.
Malaria is found most often in tropical countries. In some countries, the city areas might be free from malaria while it might be common in other parts of the country. The mosquitoes carrying malaria typically bite at night. That is why we are not able to accept donors who have stayed overnight in malaria-risk areas.
Symptoms of malaria include high fever, chills with shivering, headache, muscle ache, weakness, abdominal pain. These symptoms usually begin within a few weeks after being bitten by the infected mosquito. However, it can also develop as late as a few months after the person leaves the malaria-risk area. Some types of malaria parasites can remain in the body without causing symptoms for many years. Donors who previously lived in a malaria-risk area may have been infected with malaria in the past without having any symptoms and remain asymptomatic and well as they have developed partial immunity.
Donors who travelled to malaria-risk areas are advised to delay blood donation for 4 months after returning to Singapore. The 4-month waiting period helps mitigate the risk of transmitting malaria through blood donations by allowing time for any potential infection to be detected.
Below are the countries with malaria risk frequently visited by our blood donors. Information on other countries with malaria risk can be found in the Can I Donate section under A-Z list > Travel Overseas.
| Country | Malaria risk areas |
| Bangladesh | Malaria risk is present throughout the country except in the city of Dhaka. |
| Cambodia | Malaria risk is present throughout the country except in the cities of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, and at the main temple complex at Angkor Wat. |
| India | Malaria risk is present throughout the whole country, including the cities of Bombay (Mumbai) and New Delhi. |
| Indonesia | Malaria risk is present in Bintan and Batam.
Malaria risk present in all areas of Eastern Indonesia (provinces of Maluku, Maluku Utara, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Papua, and Papua Barat) including the town of Labuan Bajo and the Komodo Islands.
Malaria risk present in all areas in Kalimantan (Borneo), Nusa Tenggara Barat (includes the island of Lombok), Sulawesi, Sumatra - Western Indonesia except in
· Urban areas
· Gili Islands
Malaria risk present in all areas in Bali-Western Indonesia except in
· City of Ubud
· Resort areas of Bali
Malaria risk present in all areas in Java (including Pangandaran, Sukabumi and Ujung Kulong) - Western Indonesia except in
· Urban areas (including Jakarta)
· Thousand Islands (Palau Seribu)
· Resort areas of Java
|
| Laos | Malaria risk is present throughout the country except in the city of Vientiane. |
| Malaysia | Malaria risk is present in rural areas (village, forested areas, agricultural areas, plantations and small islands) in all states of Malaysia.
Malaria risk is present in the states of Sabah, Sarawak, Kelantan, Terengganu.
There is no malaria risk in cities and towns in the other states in Malaysia (including the resorts in Desaru, Genting and Cameron Highlands). |
| Myanmar | Malaria risk is present throughout the country. |
| Nepal | Malaria risk is present throughout the country except in Kathmandu. |
| Thailand | Malaria risk is present in all areas in the provinces of:
· Chanthanaburi
· Chiang Mai (except the city of Chiang Mai)
· Chiang Rai (except the city of Chiang Rai)
· Surat Thani Chumpon
· Kanchanaburi
· Mae Hong Son
· Narathiwat
· Phetchaburi
· Phitsanulok
· Prachuap
· Khiri Khan, Ranong
· Ratchaburi
· Sa Kaeo
· Si Saket
· Songkhla
· Surat Thani (except the islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Samui)
· Surin
· Tak
· Trat
· Ubon Ratchathani
· Yala
No risk in the provinces of Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Bangkok. Bueng Kan, Burirak, Chachoengsao, Chainat, Chaiyaphum, Chonburi, Kalasin, Kamphaeng Phet, Khon Kaen, Krabi (includes the many small islands off the coast of Krabi including Koh Phi Phi, Koh Yao Noi, Koh Yao Yai and Ko Lanta), Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Pattani, Phang Nga, Phattalung, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phichit, Phrae, Phuket, Prachinburi, Rayong, Roi Et, Sakhon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Saraburi, Satun, Singburi, Sukhothaï, Suphanburi, Trang, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit and Yasothon. |
| Vietnam | Malaria risk is present in rural areas. |
West Nile Virus
The West Nile virus is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. In rare cases, the virus can be transmitted through the transfusion of blood that is infected with the virus.
Most people infected with West Nile virus don't have symptoms. About 1 in 5 infected people have symptoms like fever, headache, rash and muscle aches (flu like illness). Rarely, West Nile virus can cause serious brain inflammation.
If a donor infected with West Nile virus donates blood during the infectious period, the virus can be transmitted to the recipient, potentially causing serious health issues and even death.
Donors who have travelled to the following countries are advised to wait for 4 weeks from the date of return before donating blood.
1. Albania
2. Algeria
3. Austria
4. Bosnia and Herzegovina
5. Bulgaria
6. Canada
7. Croatia
8. Cyprus
9. France
- Alpes-Maritimes (e.g. Nice, Cannes)
- Bouches-du-Rhône
- Charente
- Charente-Maritime
- Gironde
- Haute-Garonne
- Hautes-Pyrénées
- Pyrénées-Orientales
- Var
10. Germany
11. Greece
12. Hungary
13. Israel
14. Italy including Holy See (Vatican City)
15. Kosovo
16. Monaco
17. Montenegro
18. North Macedonia (Previously known as Macedonia)
19. Romania
20. Russia
21. Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France)
22. Serbia
23. Slovenia
24. Spain
- Andalusia is an Autonomous Community(region) in the south of Spain. It includes the cities of Seville, Malaga, Cordoba and Granada.
- Extremadura is an Autonomous Community (region) comprised of the provinces of Cáceres and Badajoz. It includes the cities of Mérida and Badajoz.
25. Tunisia
26. Turkey
27. United States, all regions except Hawaii, Alaska & US Virgin Islands (St. Choix, St. John and St. Thomas in Leeward Islands)
28. West Bank, Gaza Strip and Palestine Occupied Territories
Chagas Disease
Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a potentially life-threatening illness caused by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi). It is lifelong and infected individuals may be asymptomatic.
Chagas disease is endemic throughout South and Central America where it is mostly transmitted to humans by the faeces of triatomine bugs, known as “kissing bugs”. Chagas disease can also be transmitted in other ways, including the transfusion of blood from infected donors.
Donors who travelled and stayed in a rural area for 4 weeks or more in the following countries are advised not to donate blood permanently.
1. Mexico
2. Belize
3. Costa Rica
4. El Salvador
5. Guatemala
6. Honduras
7. Nicaragua
8. Panama
9. Argentina
10. Bolivia
11. Brazil
12. Chile
13. Colombia
14. Ecuador
15. French Guiana
16. Guyana
17. Paraguay
18. Peru
19. Suriname
20. Uruguay
21. Venezuela
Mpox (Monkey Pox)
Mpox (formerly monkeypox) is a viral disease that is caused by infection with the mpox virus. The main mode of transmission is via close physical or prolonged contact, such as face to face and skin to skin contact including sexual contact.
The symptoms of mpox include fever, headache, muscle ache, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and general feeling of exhaustion. As the disease progresses, infected persons develop a rash, often starting from the face or site of close contact before spreading to other parts of the body, including the palms and soles.
If you had been to Africa and stayed overnight in a malaria endemic area, you can donate 4 months after the date of return.
If you have visited a non-malaria endemic area in Africa like Lesotho, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Reunion, Seychelles and the cities of Asmara (Eritrea), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). Antananarivo (Madagascar), Cape Town (Western Cape South Africa) and Johannesburg (Gauteng South Africa), you can donate 21 days after the date of return to Singapore.
Information on other malaria risk areas in African countries can be found in the Can I Donate section under A-Z list > Travel Overseas.
This list may change as the mpox situation evolves. HSA is monitoring the situation closely and will update this list of places accordingly.