Man Charged With Knowingly Donating HIV-Infected Plasma
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) _ A man accused of knowingly giving HIV-infected blood plasma at a donor center last year has been charged with a felony.
X, 31, was held Wednesday at the Boone County Jail on $5,000 bond after an initial court appearance on a charge of risking infection of another with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Prosecutors said X knew he was infected with HIV when he donated blood Jan. 26, 1995, at the Alpha Therapeutic Plasma Center.
Columbia police arrested X on Tuesday. If convicted, he could be sentenced to two to five years in prison.
Boone County Prosecutor Kevin Crane said his office learned of the case from the Missouri Department of Health.
“We looked at the facts of this thing and, based on those, felt we could proceed,″ he said.
Beth Meyerson, spokeswoman for the state health department, refused to comment on the case, citing confidentiality of health records. But she said the supply of donated blood products is safe.
“This was a case where the person’s blood was caught. We’re not looking at a situation where the blood was ever utilized,″ she said.
