French scientists have discovered a new type of blood in a woman from Guadeloupe’s Caribbean island, the France’s blood supply agency announced Friday.

The woman is the only well -known carrier of a new type of blood, called “negative Gwada”, the Said the establishment of French blood (EFS). The discovery came 15 years after researchers received a blood sample from a patient who was passing routine tests before surgery.

“EFS has just discovered the 48th blood group system in the world!” The agency said in a statement in Social Network Linkedinadding that the discovery was officially recognized by the International Society of Blood Transfusion in early June.

The Scientific Association had so far Known 47 blood group systems.

Thierry Peyrard, a medical biologist at EFS involved in the discovery, told AFP that a “very unusual” antibody was first found in the patient in 2011. However, resources at that time did not allow further research, he added.

Scientists were finally able to discover the mystery in 2019 thanks to “high-speed DNA sequences”, which highlighted a genetic mutation, Petyrard said.

The patient, who was 54 years old at the time and lived in Paris, was passing routine tests before surgery when the unknown antibody was discovered, Peyrard said.

This woman “is definitely the only known case in the world,” he said, adding: “She is the only person in the world who is compatible with herself.”

The medical biologist said the woman inherited the type of blood from her father and mother, who each had a mutated gene.

The name “negative Gwada”, which refers to the patient’s origin and “sounds good in all languages”, has been familiar with experts, Petyrard said.

The ABO blood group system was first discovered in the early 1900s. Thanks to DNA sequences, the discovery of new blood groups has accelerated in recent years.

Peyrard and colleagues now hope to find other people with the same blood group.

“The discovery of new blood groups means providing patients with rare blood types a better level of care,” EFS said.