In a breakthrough that could transform how we understand blood compatibility and genetic mutations, French scientists have identified a new and ultra-rare human blood group, officially recognized as the 48th blood group system in the world. Dubbed "Gwada Negative", the blood type was discovered in a woman from the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, and to date, she remains the only known person on Earth with this unique genetic profile.

The discovery not only expands the landscape of hematology but also highlights the critical importance of diversity in medical research, rare blood registries, and personalized healthcare.

The journey began quietly in 2011, when a 54-year-old woman undergoing routine pre-surgical testing in Paris presented with an unusual antibody in her blood. Despite efforts, researchers at the French Blood Establishment (EFS) couldn’t find a compatible donor, nor could they classify her blood within existing systems.

At the time, the tools to decode her rare profile weren’t advanced enough. But the case wasn’t forgotten.

By 2019, thanks to breakthroughs in high-throughput DNA sequencing, researchers re-analyzed her sample and discovered a genetic mutation in the PIGZ gene, which plays a role in anchoring proteins to the surface of blood cells. This mutation, inherited from both of her parents, created a completely novel blood group system.

In June 2024, the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) officially recognized "Gwada Negative" as the world’s 48th blood group system—a milestone that may impact everything from transfusion medicine to maternal-fetal care.

Why This Discovery is Revolutionary?

The implications of discovering a new blood group extend far beyond academic curiosity. Blood group compatibility is a life-or-death issue, especially during transfusions, organ transplants, or pregnancy. Incompatibility can lead to immune reactions, severe complications, or even death.

According to the CDC, approximately 14 million blood transfusions are performed annually in the U.S. alone. While most rely on common blood groups like A+, O−, or AB+, there exists an entire spectrum of rare and ultra-rare blood types that standard testing often misses.

The “Gwada Negative” case emphasizes the need to refine and expand global rare blood registries to include more ethnically diverse populations, especially from regions like the Caribbean, Africa, and South America where underrepresentation in biomedical research is prevalent.

What Makes 'Gwada Negative' Blood Type So Unique?

According to Dr. Thierry Peyrard, the medical biologist at EFS who led the discovery, the blood type was named “Gwada” as a nod to the patient’s Guadeloupean heritage and because the name “sounded good in all languages.”

But the science behind it is no less poetic. The PIGZ gene mutation responsible for this blood type affects how proteins bind to red blood cells—an anomaly not found in any other known human sample.

“She is the only person in the world who is compatible with herself,” Peyrard remarked, underlining the magnitude of the challenge: no blood donor, not even family members, matched her type. In medical terms, this makes her the most transfusion-challenged person alive.

Significance of ' Gwada Negative' for Global Health

As genetic sequencing becomes more accessible and advanced, the pace of discovering new blood groups is accelerating. The discovery of Gwada Negative joins a growing list of rare blood types, adding crucial data to our understanding of hematological diversity and helping us respond better in emergencies involving rare phenotypes.

According to EFS, it has been responsible for identifying 10 of the last 17 blood group systems over the past decade, showing how France has quietly become a global leader in blood science.

“Discovering new blood groups means offering patients with rare blood types a better level of care,” said the EFS in a statement. “It brings hope—especially when seconds count in emergency situations.”

While the discovery of Gwada Negative is historic, the next step is critical: finding others who share this blood group, particularly within populations that may carry similar ancestry or genetic mutations.

Peyrard and his team are working on launching targeted blood donor campaigns in Guadeloupe and among people of Caribbean descent. Their goal is to identify other carriers and potentially build an international rare blood donor registry that includes this newly classified group.

This is especially important for women of childbearing age. If a pregnant woman with a rare blood type produces antibodies against her fetus's blood cells, it can lead to hemolytic disease of the newborn—a serious, and sometimes fatal, complication.

How The New Blood Type Will Impact Rare Diseases and Genetic Research?

The implications of discovering new blood types go beyond transfusions. Mutations like those found in the PIGZ gene may also shed light on other genetic disorders, including those affecting the immune system, neurological conditions, and inflammatory diseases.

“This discovery has not only functional results,” Peyrard noted. “It allows for a better understanding of pathologies.”

In the future, understanding blood types at a molecular level could even lead to personalized cancer therapies or targeted drug development for rare conditions.

Amid the ongoing Covid-19 scare in the UK, in another news, two species of disease-carrying mosquito have been also found there. These two species are now being found as a result of climate change, scientists too have warned against the same.

Aedes aegypti, also known as the Egyptian mosquito, and Aedes albopictus, also known as the (Asian) tiger or forest mosquito, both known for carrying diseases like yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, Zika and dirofilariasis have been detected in surveillance traps set by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). This was revealed in the UKHSA peer-reviewd study on invasive mosquito surveillance.

The Egyptian mosquito eggs were detected in a freight storage facility near London's Heathrow Airport, in September 2023- and tiger mosquitoes were detcted in August 2024. This will be the first time that the tiger mosquitoes have been detected since 2019, at a motorway srvice station in Kent.

The study published in research journal PLOS Global Public Health, reported the findings were lead by UKHSA and the Centre for Climate and Health Security.

What Has Changed Now?

Historically, both these species were limited to subtropical and tropical regions, however, among the populations established in southerns and central Europe, the mosquitoes have shown its ability to survive in temperate climates.

Rising temperature is said to be one of the major reasons for incursion of invasive species. This has put new populations at risk of disease transmission.

The authors of the study said, "While there is currently no evidence that Ae. albopictus or Ae. aegypti are widely established in the UK, without timely action, the UK faces the risk of invasive mosquito populations becoming established... proactive measures enhance resilience against emerging vector borne disease risks."

Call To Action

In addition to monitoring at ports and transport hubs across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the UKHSA has also set up traps in the Kent marshes—considered an ideal spot for mosquitoes to settle due to its warm, wet conditions.

The UKHSA has also run Mosquito Recoding Scheme (MRS). This is a citizen-science project that receives and identifies mosquitoes submitted by members of public, including in response to nuisance biting incidents. Between 2005 and 2021, 286 reports of mosquitoes were submitted to the MRS, all of which were native UK species.

The aim of the scheme is to detect unusual or invasive species of mosquito, so prevention tactics could be put to use.

Collin Johnson, the lead author of the study and a senior medical entomologist at the UKHSA, said for the 2023 and 2024 discoveries: "Each detection triggered enhanced local surveillance and control measures, and the fact that no further specimens were found suggests these were isolated incursions."

"The collaborative efforts between UKHSA, local authorities and landowners were key to rapidly mobilising and preventing the establishment of invasive mosquitoes," he said.

More than 90 passengers and crew aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship have fallen ill from Norovirus, as per the reports. This ship's final stop was Miami.

The outbreak on the Royal Caribbean was first reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The ship had departed San Diego on September 19. A total of 94 passenger and 4 crew members were "reported being ill during the voyage," noted the CDC. The main symptoms as per CDC was diarrhea and vomiting.

Other symptoms include muscle ach, abdominal pain, fever, or three or more loose sttols within 24-hour period. From a total of 1,874 passengers and 833 crew, as per the reports, only 4% of people on board were infected, confirmed CDC.

The crew on the ship has increased their cleaning and disinfecting procedures. Stool specimens from gasteointestinal illness have been collected for testing and have been isolated from those who are sick.

In a statement to USA TODAY, the Royal Caribbean said, "The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority. To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines."

The Independent reports that the cruise ship also consulted with the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), which is remotely monitoring the situation, including review of the outbreak, response, and sanitation procedures.

What Is Norovirus?

As per the CDC, it is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is commonly called the 'stomach flu" or "stomach bug".

However, norovirus illness is not related to the flu. The flu is caused by the influenza virus. Norovirus causes acute gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach or intestines.

Most people with norovirus illness get better within 1 to 3 days; but they can still spread the virus for a few days after.

What Are The Symptoms Of Norovirus?

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Fever
• Headache
• Body aches
• Dehydration: If you have Norovirus, you can feel extremely ill and dehydrated and the symptoms can show through decreased urination, dry mouth and throat, feeling dizzy when standing up, crying with few or no tears, unusual sleepiness or fussiness.

Who Is At Risk?

• Anyone can get infected and sick with norovirus.
• People of all ages are affected during norovirus outbreaks.
• Genetic factors can partly determine your likelihood of infection.
• Raw oysters and other filter-feeding shellfish may contain viruses and bacteria that cause illness or even death.
• Eating raw shellfish puts anyone at risk of contracting norovirus.
• Children under 5, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop severe infections.

The US government shuts down at midnight confirmed Associated Press. The Vice President JD Vance said, "I think we're headed to a shutdown because the Democrats won't do the right thing," after a meeting where Congressional Democrats refused to give Republicans the votes they needed to pass a short-term funding agreement. The Democrats have demanded overhauls to Medicaid cuts and extensions to health care tax credits, something Republicans wish to stay out of.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said that Republicans are "divorced from reality". He said, "They just wanted to kick the health care problem down the road."

What Does US Government Shutdown Mean For Health Services?

During a shutdown, only 59% of employees would be working at the Department of Health and Human Services. The rest are to be furloughed, meaning to be discharged from their job.

This means, out of the 47,257 employees who would be kept during the shutdown, only 35,000 would be continued to paid, while 12,000 would work without pay. Around 32,460 Health and Human Services (HHS) employees will be discharged from their work.

For the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 36% of employees would work, with 15% without pay, also reported by ABC News. At the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 86% employees would continue to work, with 19% without pay.

What it means for safety guidelines? The FDA's Animal Drugs and Foods Program "would end pre-market safety reviews of novel animal food ingredients for livestock, thus be unable to ensure that the meat, milk, and eggs of livestock are safe for people to eat; activities would be limited to those that address imminent threats to the safety of human life".

The National Institutes of Health would also come down to 24% of employees.

Will Medicare and Medicaid Continue During The US Government Shutdown?

Federal spending's biggest portion which is considered 'mandatory' will remain untouched, including payments by Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

While government officials say that payments won't be affected, related services could, however, slow down, including receiving replacement cards and benefit verification services.

This could also threaten around 7 million low-income women and their children who relied on programs like the Women, Infants. and Children (WIC), a US federal program that provides nutritious foods, nutrition education, and referrals to healthcare and social services for low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children up to the age of 5, who are at nutritional risk.

Ali Hard, who is the policy director for the National WIC Association told ABC News that if a shutdown continues for more than a week, WIC may begin to run out of funds.

Why Is The US Government Shutting Down?

The main crux of it could be the disagreement in the health policies. For the extended funding, which would only be possible through cuts in Medicaid, the Senate voted 55-45 on the measure, which has left Republicans five votes short of 60 vote threshold.

President Donald Trump on this said, "They (Democrats) want to give health care to illegal immigrants, which will destroy health care for everybody else in our country."

Previously it happened during the 2018-2019 shutdown, which lasted for 35 days.