Archive · 21 Jun 2025
Rare Blood Type Discovered: One Woman Identified Globally
Imagine your blood is like a special club.
There are different clubs (blood types) and everyone belongs to one.
Scientists have found a brand new, super rare club!
Only one person in the whole world is in this club.
This person is a woman from an island in the Caribbean.
Doctors found out about this new blood type when she was having tests before an operation.
They used special tools to understand what makes her blood different.
This new blood type is so rare that the person can only get blood from themself.
Scientists are now looking for other people who might also belong to this unique blood type club.
A new blood type, called "Gwada negative," has been discovered.
The only known carrier of this blood type is a woman from Guadeloupe, a Caribbean island.
The discovery was made 15 years after a blood sample was taken for routine testing.
The International Society of Blood Transfusion officially recognized the discovery in June.
Scientists used DNA sequencing to identify a genetic mutation behind the new blood type.
- Who
- A woman from Guadeloupe is the only known carrier.
- What
- Discovery of a new blood type, "Gwada negative."
- When
- Discovery announced recently, though the initial sample was taken 15 years prior.
- Where
- Guadeloupe, Caribbean island; the patient resides in Paris.
- Why
- To improve care for patients with rare blood types and further scientific understanding.
- Blood Type Name
- "Gwada negative"
- First Detected
- 2011
- Official Recognition
- June, Milan, ISBT
- Origin
- Guadeloupe, Caribbean
- Only Known Carrier
- French woman
- Cause
- Genetic Mutation