Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Blood Donors and Risk to Patients in the United States and Canada.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the most common cause of acute hepatitis worldwide including large water-borne outbreaks, zoonotic infections and transfusion transmissions. Several countries have initiated or are considering blood donor screening in response to high HEV-RNA donation prevalence leading to transfusion-transmission risk. Because HEV transmission is more common through food sources, the efficacy of blood donor screening alone may be limited.

Duplex nucleic acid test for the detection of chikungunya and dengue RNA viruses in blood donations.

Background: Chikungunya (CHIKV) and dengue (DENV) viruses are primarily mosquito-borne, but transfusion transmission can occur (DENV) or is likely (CHIKV). In the absence of commercially available blood screening assays, a variety of strategies to ensure recipient safety in the face of expanding CHIKV and/or DENV outbreaks have been used.

Study Design And Methods: Performance of cobas CHIKV/DENV, a qualitative RNA detection assay for use on the cobas 6800/8800 Systems, was evaluated at two sites (Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.

International survey on the impact of parasitic infections: frequency of transmission and current mitigation strategies.

Background And Objectives: Globally, blood safety interventions have been successful in mitigating risk of the major transfusion-transmitted (TT) viruses. However, strategies that address risk from parasites are comparatively limited. TT parasites are often regional in nature, posing unique challenges; we sought to understand their impact on blood safety.

Blood donor testing for hepatitis B virus in the United States: is there a case for continuation of hepatitis B surface antigen detection?

Background: In the United States, blood donor testing for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was initiated in the early 1970s. More recently, testing for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA have been added. The incidence of hepatitis B has been declining.

Frequency of Trypanosoma cruzi parasitemia among infected blood donors with a potential association between parasite lineage and transfusion transmission.

Background: Trypanosoma cruzi is endemic to the Americas where it demonstrates multiple lineages over a vast geographic range (i.e., United States to Argentina).

Analyzing actual risk in malaria-deferred donors through selective serologic testing.

Background: Approximately 150,000 US blood donors are deferred annually for travel to malaria-endemic areas. However, the majority do not travel to the high-risk areas of Africa associated with transfusion-transmitted malaria (TTM) but visit low-risk areas such as Mexico. This study tests for Plasmodium infection among malaria-deferred donors, particularly those visiting Mexico.

Antibody levels correlate with detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA by sensitive polymerase chain reaction assays in seropositive blood donors and possible resolution of infection over time.

Background: The clinical significance of anti-Trypanosoma cruzi low-level reactive samples is incompletely understood. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive rates and antibody levels among seropositive blood donors in three countries are described.

Study Design And Methods: Follow-up samples were collected from T.

Impact of donor deferrals for malaria on blood availability in the United States.

Background: US blood availability is negatively impacted by residence or travel-related deferrals designed to prevent transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 group O, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Leishmania, and malaria. Generally, travel and residence deferrals lack sensitivity and specificity to identify infected donors, particularly for malaria. This study evaluated trends in malaria deferrals and their impact on blood availability from 2000 through 2006.