In a remarkable medical discovery, a 42-year-old man from Sirjan, Iran, has been identified as having the extremely rare blood type O Bombay. This is the first case of its kind recorded in the Kerman province.
Dr. Iraj Shakouhi announced this finding on October 13, 2024, stating that the blood type was detected using an automated blood grouping system at the Kerman Blood Transfusion Organization. Further tests confirmed the presence of this rare blood type, which is known to occur in only one in a million people.
The O Bombay blood type was first identified in Mumbai, India, and lacks the antigens found in standard blood types, meaning individuals with this blood type can only receive blood from others with the same rare type. So far, only 70 individuals with O Bombay have been recorded in Iran's population of 89 million.
Dr. Shakouhi emphasized the importance of registering this individual's family members for blood type testing to ensure that any additional cases can be documented in Iran's rare blood bank, which is crucial for future medical emergencies.