Overview

• The 'Gwada négatif' blood group was officially confirmed at the ISBT congress in Milan, securing its place as the 48th recognized system worldwide.
• An unexplained antibody in a Guadeloupean patient’s 2011 blood sample was genetically characterized in 2019, leading to the group’s identification.
• To date, only one individual of Guadeloupean origin carries the rare PIGZ mutation that defines the new blood group.
• The Établissement français du sang cautions that transfusing incompatible blood can trigger severe immune reactions or even death.
• Advances in DNA sequencing have uncovered ten new blood group systems in France over the past 12 years and are guiding research into further rare types.