Gwada negative-World’s Rarest Blood Type Discovered in French Caribbean Woman

A French woman from the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe has been identified as the only known carrier of a newly discovered blood type, informally dubbed “Gwada negative”. This blood sample was first collected 15 years ago during routine pre-surgical tests, and only recently confirmed by the French Blood Establishment (EFS).

● Scientific Classification:
This rare blood type is now officially recognized as the 48th blood group system in the world. It is known as EMM-negative, and has been formally registered by the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) as ISBT042.

● What Makes It Unique:

• It is defined by the absence of the EMM antigen, a high-incidence antigen normally found on red blood cells.
• High-incidence antigens are present in almost all humans, so their absence is extremely rare and medically significant.

● Significance and Rarity:
As of June 2025, only one person in the world is known to possess this blood type, making it the rarest ever recorded.

● Scientific Progress:
The rise of DNA sequencing technology in recent years has accelerated the discovery of such rare blood groups.
The first known blood group system, ABO, was discovered in the early 1900s.

(Source: Science Alert)