A PUBLIC health boss today admitted that the infection of three people with AIDS from a blood donor was a tragedy waiting to happen.

Three patients have contracted the virus after receiving blood from an HIV positive donor from the North West.

One has since died from a condition totally unrelated to AIDS, while the others have been offered counselling.

It is believed to be the first case of HIV infection through a blood transfusion in England since testing for HIV was introduced in 1985.

The National Blood Service is refusing to release any personal details of the donor or the three infected patients.

But Dr Stephen Morton, director of public health, said the tragedy was "bound to happen."

He said: "Given the number of blood donations we believe this was bound to happen at some time.

"Obviously with increasing technology andsurgical techniques in heart surgery and joint replacement there are more and more patients needing transfusions of blood. "Until we come across a synthetic equivalent, this is always going to occur."

A National Blood Service spokeswoman said that because the donor had only recently been infected, the virus did not show up in routine testing. The blood was donated last summer.

This so-called 'window' period could last between 20 and 30 days after a person was infected. During this time a person could pass on the virus, but a routine test would still provide a negative result.

Questions meant to reveal if someone belonged to a high-risk group should have prevented the donor giving blood.

But she added: "It looks as if this donor did not answer all the questions honestly."

The incident came to light after one of the patients was found to be HIV positive in the course of treatment. Doctors then had to trace all the blood donations the patient had received.

Since 1985 there have been 30 million donations in the UK.

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