China’s Shocking Find in Rare ‘Type P’ Blood and Genetic Secrets

A rare P blood type patient was discovered in a hospital in China. The patient is reported to possess an unidentified genetic sequence previously unknown to the scientific community within the P blood type group.

According to reports from the South China Morning Post (SCMP), citing Chinese media Modern Express, during a routine blood test conducted at a hospital in Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, Eastern China, an individual with p-type blood exhibited an unidentified nucleotide sequence, a fundamental component of nucleic acids.

Upon sharing this genetic sequence with the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) for validation, it was determined to be a nucleotide sequence that had never been observed elsewhere. This unique genetic sequence has been assigned the serial number OR900206 within the human gene database.

P blood type was first reported to academia in 1927. It is a rare blood type distinct from the mainstream blood types A, B, AB, and O.

P blood type is divided into five subtypes: P1, P2, P1k, P2k, and p. The type P is a seldom-found blood type among these. The chance of being born with a P blood type is less than one in a million, and it is known that only 12 people in China possess this blood type.

Local authorities explained that individuals with this rare blood type can only safely receive transfusions from donors of the same blood type. They further emphasized the particular importance of this compatibility during pregnancy, noting that a transfusion with a different blood type could lead to miscarriage. Therefore, they stressed the necessity of early detection in such cases.