Extremely rare blood type found in Shaanxi

A rarely seen blood type, dubbed "golden blood", was found recently during a routine screening in Baoji, Shaanxi province. The blood type is more uncommon than the well-known "panda blood" that refers to the Rh-negative blood type.

Staff from the Baoji Central Blood Station discovered the unusual Rh-null golden blood after a donation, according to the Huashang Daily, a local newspaper in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. The owner of this type is an 18-year-old woman, a staff member of the blood station told the newspaper.

A major difference between golden blood and panda blood is that there is no Rh antigen on the red blood cells in the golden blood. Due to this feature, golden blood can be compatible with any kind of blood type for transfusion.

However, having the rare blood type may not be such a blessing as it is very difficult to find golden blood when a transfusion is needed.

About three out of 1,000 people could have panda blood in China. However, the people who have golden blood are even rarer, with fewer than 50 people reported having the blood type globally.

This Rh-null blood type is highly autoimmune, which means carriers of the type have higher immunity and can provide more effective blood transfusions in an emergency.

After further genetic testing, it was confirmed that the gene sequence of the woman and her two family members had never been found before.

"After passing the examination by experts from the National Center for Biotechnology Information of the United States, the gene of this cis-AB blood group is now officially included and published in the 'GenBank' database that has shared it to the world as a new gene," Zhang Qian, deputy director of the Laboratory of Baoji Central Blood Station, was quoted as saying by Huashang Daily.