Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Transmitted by Blood Transfusion

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 359; no. 14; pp. 1526 - 1527
• Main Authors: Tambyah, Paul A, Koay, Evelyn S.C, Poon, Michelle L.M, Lin, Raymond V.T.P, Ong, Benjamin K.C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Massachusetts Medical Society 02-10-2008
• Subjects: Dengue Virus - isolation & purification; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Severe Dengue - transmission; Transfusion Reaction
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc0708673

To the Editor:
Dengue, the most common vectorborne viral infection worldwide,
1
is predominantly transmitted by the
Aedes aegypti
mosquito. We describe a well-documented cluster of blood transfusion–associated dengue infections in Singapore, a country in which the disease is endemic.
A 52-year-old, asymptomatic, repeat blood donor gave blood on July 15, 2007. An investigation of all recipients of his blood products was initiated after he informed the blood bank that he had had a fever the day after donation. The stored serum sample was positive for dengue virus type 2, as ascertained by means of a polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) assay.
2
The recipient . . .