A remarkable medical discovery has come to light in France: scientists have confirmed a brand-new blood type in a woman originally from the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe — making her the only known person in the world with this rare blood system.
France’s national blood service, the French Blood Establishment (EFS), revealed the breakthrough this week, announcing it as the 48th officially recognised blood group worldwide. The discovery was confirmed earlier this month at a gathering of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) in Milan.
The story behind the find stretches back 15 years. In 2011, doctors detected an unusual antibody while running routine pre-surgery tests on the woman, who was then 54 and living in Paris. At the time, however, they lacked the technology to investigate further.
It wasn’t until 2019, with advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing, that researchers were able to pinpoint a genetic mutation behind the mystery. This unique gene variant, which the woman inherited from both her parents, led to what is now known as the “Gwada negative” blood group — a name that honours her roots in Guadeloupe and is easy to say in any language.
Thierry Peyrard, the medical biologist who led the study, told AFP the woman is “undoubtedly the only known case in the world” and explained that this means she could only receive a blood transfusion from herself — highlighting just how rare this blood type is.
Experts at the EFS say finding new blood types can make a big difference for people who have rare blood and need life-saving care. With better understanding, hospitals and blood banks can plan ahead and help more patients get the safe transfusions they need.
For now, the search is on for anyone else who might carry the same unique gene. “Discovering new blood groups means offering patients with rare blood types a better level of care,” the EFS said in its statement.
