The Potential Impact of Chikungunya Virus Outbreaks on Blood Transfusion.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is responsible for large periodic epidemics in both endemic and nonendemic areas where competent mosquitoes are present. Transmission of CHIKV by transfusion during explosive outbreaks has never been documented, and the true impact of CHIKV infection on blood transfusion during an outbreak is unknown. Considerations include not only transfusions in the active outbreak areas but also returning travelers to nonendemic areas.

Risk of chikungunya virus transmission associated with European travelers returning from southern Thailand (2008-2015).

Background: The impact of the spread of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) by autochthonous transmission and blood transfusion in nonendemic areas via travelers returning from CHIKV-affected locations is a concern.

Methods: We analyzed the risks of potential CHIKV importation and transfusion transmission from Thailand to Europe via travelers visiting southern Thailand from 2008 through 2015, using the web-based European Up-front Risk Assessment Tool.

Results: The risk of CHIKV importation by European travelers returning from Thailand from 2008 through 2015 varied depending on the year of travel, tourist destination, duration of stay, and time since last possible exposure.

Risk of transfusion-transmitted chikungunya infection and efficacy of blood safety implementation measures: experience from the 2009 epidemic in Songkhla Province, Thailand.

Background: To date, neither is there a standard guideline for maintaining a safe blood supply during a chikungunya fever (CHIKF) outbreak nor has a study been performed on actual transfusion-transmitted CHIKF to recipients. This study estimated the potential incidence of transfusion-transmitted CHIKF and compared the efficacies of various blood safety intervention strategies to mitigate the transfusion-transmitted CHIKF risk.

Study Design And Methods: A Web-based tool named the European Up-Front Risk Assessment Tool (EUFRAT) was used to estimate the risk of transfusion-transmitted CHIKF using data inputs from the 2009 Songkhla epidemic in Thailand.

The risk of blood transfusion-associated Chikungunya fever during the 2009 epidemic in Songkhla Province, Thailand.

Background: Asymptomatic Chikungunya fever (CHIKF)-viremic blood donors could be a potential threat of spreading the disease unwittingly through contaminated blood transfusions. The relatively low prevalence of Chikungunya virus antibodies in the population and the records of more than 9000 suspected CHIKF cases raised concern about the potential transfusion-associated CHIKF during the 2009 epidemic. This study assessed the potential transfusion risk for CHIKF and the implementation of blood safety measures to mitigate this risk.

Viremic profiles in asymptomatic and symptomatic chikungunya fever: a blood transfusion threat?

Background: The presence of a chikungunya virus (CHIKV) outbreak could have an impact on transfusion safety when there are a large number of infected persons during an epidemic. Serosurveys have found that 3% to 28% of infected persons remain asymptomatic and are potential disseminators of transfusion-associated chikungunya. However, the viremic profiles of asymptomatic chikungunya patients, the major determinant of the transfusion risk, are unknown.

HBsAg diagnostic kits in the detection of hepatitis B virus mutation within "a" determinant.

The performance of currently available hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) commercial kits was analyzed by using a panel of 212 well-characterized plasma donors all over the country and a panel of nine recombinant HBsAg mutants containing single point or combinations of mutations between amino acid residues 124 and 147 of the "a" determinant. HBsAg commercial kits in this study were machine-based immunoassays with a one-step sandwich ELISA method using either an automatic closed system or manual system. The sensitivity of all machine-based assays evaluated with 105 HBsAg plasma panels was 100% (95% CL = 95.