08/08/2025
A new and extremely rare blood group named CRIB has been discovered in India in a 38-year-old woman from Kolar district, Karnataka. Initially classified as O Rh+, her blood was incompatible with all O-positive donor units, leading to detailed investigation. Advanced testing revealed a previously unknown antigen in the Cromer blood group system, and this antigen was named CRIB— "CR" for Cromer and "IB" for India, Bangalore. She is the first known person worldwide with this blood group. The discovery has major implications for transfusion medicine, prenatal diagnostics, and global blood donation protocols. The finding was confirmed after extensive testing by the Rotary Bangalore TTK Blood Centre and the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory (UK), and publicly announced at the International Society of Blood Transfusion congress in June 2025.
