New blood collection restrictions prevent American soldiers who served in Iraq from giving blood for as long as 1 year to ensure that their blood isn't infected by a parasite that causes cutaneous leishmaniasis, say federal health officials. The ban comes after an outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis among American soldiers. Those known to be infected are banned for life from donating blood.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic in the Middle East. Producing painless skin lesions, the infection can leave scars if untreated.

The parasite, which is transmitted in a sand fly bite, can incubate for several months without producing symptoms, or it may cause only mild illness. It can survive for as long as 25 days in stored blood.

Check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at http://www.cdc.gov for more information about leishmaniasis.