Blood centers in the U.S. are scrambling to track down hundreds of thousands of former donors turned away because of worries about mad cow disease in Europe more than two decades ago. The Food and Drug Administration lifted longtime rules that had barred blood donations from people, including current and former military members, who spent time in the U.K. and other countries during periods from 1980 to 2001. The FDA determined there was little risk from blood donations of acquiring the rare and fatal brain infection tied to eating contaminated beef.
No more mad cow worries, banned blood donors can give again
