"The technology used in preparing the albumin makes it virtually impossible for it to be infected with HIV. There are no known instances of HIV infection via albumin in international statistics," Yevgeny Mezentsev said.
Yevgeny Zhirbut, the director of the Blood Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, had said Thursday that none of the albumin, containing the infected blood components, had been sent to Moscow clinics.
"Moscow clinics have a strict control system. I know that the Moscow blood transfusion center has no agreement with Voronezh. No components prepared using this donor's blood went to Moscow," he said.
So far, 94 out of 208 albumin recipients in Voronezh have been tested for HIV. In all cases the results were negative, Mezentsev said.
Only one case of HIV infection through donor blood has been registered in Voronezh, he said. A young woman, 21, became infected in one of the local maternity hospitals when receiving a blood transfusion, Mezentsev said.
"Today, we can say that the personnel at the blood transfusion station violated the norms," Mezentsev said.
The head of the station has been dismissed, Mezentsev said.
According to him, more measures might follow as the investigation proceeds.
