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Events on Saturday 2 March 1985 1
1985First HIV antibody test licensedBlood banks gain a tool to screen for the AIDS virusThe US Food and Drug Administration licensed the first commercial blood test for antibodies to the AIDS virus on 2 March 1985. The ELISA test allowed blood banks to begin screening donations, sharply reducing transmission through transfusions. It was a major milestone in the response to the emerging global AIDS epidemic.