Population shift prompts blood donor plea

With more than 360 variations of blood linked to a person's ethnicity there's a plea for donations, (HANDOUT/RED CROSS LIFEBLOOD)

There's a fresh plea for Australians who come from a variety of backgrounds to roll up their sleeves and donate blood after a study highlighted a shift in the nation's blood types.

There are four commonly known blood types - A, AB, B and O.