Woman Has a Blood Type with No Matches Worldwide
RAREST BLOOD TYPE – A woman from Guadeloupe, a French territory in the Caribbean, has been found to have a unique blood type that matches no other known type in the world. French scientists from the French Blood Establishment (EFS), a public agency that oversees blood transfusion services, made the discovery after over 15 years of investigation.
The mystery began in 2011, when the woman—then 54 years old and living in Paris—underwent routine tests before surgery. Medical experts noted a very unusual antibody in her blood. However, due to limited resources at the time, further research was delayed. It wasn’t until 2019, with the help of advanced DNA sequencing, that scientists were able to determine the cause—a rare genetic mutation inherited from both her parents.
This mutation led to the identification of a completely new blood group, now officially named “Gwada Negative”, in honor of the patient’s origin, Guadeloupe. Scientists have confirmed that this is the only known case of this blood type in the world. According to lead medical biologist Thierry Peyrard, she is the only person in the world who is compatible with herself.
The discovery is now officially recognized as the 48th blood group system by the International Society of Blood Transfusion, adding to the original ABO system developed in the early 1900s and the Rh system introduced in the 1940s. These systems have long categorized blood types such as A, B, AB, and O, with Rh factors like positive and negative.
Scientists now hope to find others who may also belong to the Gwada Negative group. Peyrard emphasized that discovering new blood groups is crucial in improving care for patients with rare or difficult-to-match blood types.
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