Soldiers and civilian military personnel from the United Kingdom who received blood from members of the Unites States military may be at risk for HIV infection and other blood-borne illnesses, The Daily Telegraph reports (telegraph.co.uk, 1/10).

Currently 18 military personnel and six civilians may be at risk for infection. The Telegraph reports that wounded troops stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq from 2001 through last year may also have been exposed—through blood transfusions—to HIV, hepatitis A and C, Chagas disease and Human T-lymphotropic Virus (HTLV), which may cause cancer.

According to the article, the potential infections are attributed to poor record keeping and less thorough blood screening by U.S. officials.

The military personnel who were potentially exposed to the various blood-borne viruses were tested for HIV and other infections just before Christmas and are awaiting their results.