Seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus antibodies in blood donors in southern, Brazil.

Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a matter of concern for blood bank professionals and blood transfusion recipients, especially in cases of transfusions to neonates and immunocompromised patients. Thus, the present study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of CMV IgG and IgM antibodies among blood donors in the city of Lages, in the mountain region of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, and to investigate possible associations between the socioeconomic characteristics of donors and CMV serological status.

Methods: A seroepidemiological cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,045 blood samples from donors that were used in serological screening over a one-year investigation.

Estimation of the residual risk for the transmission of HIV in blood donors from the mountain region of Santa Catarina.

The HIV, in hemotheraphy, may be transmitted by erythrocyte, platelets, crioprecipitated, frozen fresh plasma and possibly, by other blood components. Appropriate legislations for this new reality were elaborated normatizing the hemotheraphy practices in Brazil, creating a set of procedures and actions aiming at guaranteeing the quality of the blood, during the whole process. However, the residual risk remains, and it can be calculated as a product of the incidence and period of the immunological window.