New Blood Group Discovered in Indian Citizen

Doctors in Karnataka, southern India, have discovered an unknown blood group antigen in one of their patients, a discovery that has never been documented worldwide, as reported by The New Indian Express.

The discovery was made during preparations for heart surgery on a 38-year-old resident of the Kolar district. His blood type, O Rh+, is the most common; however, none of the available O-positive blood was suitable for potential transfusion.

“Using advanced serological methods, our team determined that his blood was ‘panreactive,’ incompatible with all test samples. Recognizing this as a rare or unknown blood group case, we collected blood samples from 20 family members to find a compatible group, but none matched,” said Ankit Mathur, a surgeon at Kolar Hospital.

The surgery was successfully completed without the need for a blood transfusion. Several immunologists believe that the previously unknown blood group in this Indian citizen may be attributed to the tradition of marriages among close relatives in the country.