This winter’s flu epidemic combined with cold weather has triggered an emergency shortage of blood in North Alabama.

“We are in desperate need of healthy donors to come out and donate blood,” said J.B. Bowles, LifeSouth vice president of operations.

Life South Community Blood Centers, which supply blood for Athens-Limestone and other hospitals in the Huntsville Hospitals system, are desperately seeking blood donors, said Marquasha Carter, district community development coordinator for LifeSouth.

LifeSouth will have a mobile blood-collection unit at the following locations in Limestone County this weekend:

• 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Limestone Flea Market off U.S. 72 East in Athens;

• 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Hometown Grocery off South Jefferson Street in Athens.

Bowles said the shortage is coming at a time when supplies were already low because of reduced donations during the winter holidays. Meanwhile, blood use at many of our hospitals is far above normal, making the shortage even more serious, Bowles said.

People with flu who are being treated with antibiotics cannot donate until three days after ending treatment, Carter said. In addition, the cold weather prevents some donors from venturing out to give blood, she said.

Donations of blood — particularly Type “O” blood —are down 40 percent from where the supply needs to be to provide hospitals with enough blood for patients, Bowles said. (O-negative is the universal blood type that can be used by anyone in emergencies. O-positive can be used by anyone with a positive blood type.)

If you can’t donate in Limestone County, you can donate blood inside Huntsville Hospital or at the LifeSouth blood center at 8190 Madison Boulevard in Madison. For more information, call 256-533-8201 or go online to www.lifesouth.org.