Transfusion-transmitted diseases: risks, prevention and perspectives

• Published in: European journal of haematology Vol. 62; no. 1; pp. 1 - 18
• Main Authors: Moor, Anne C. E., Dubbelman, Tom M. A. R., VanSteveninck, John, Brand, Anneke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-01-1999; Blackwell
• Subjects: AIDS/HIV; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Bacterial Infections - epidemiology; Bacterial Infections - etiology; Bacterial Infections - prevention & control; Biological and medical sciences; Blood. Blood and plasma substitutes. Blood products. Blood cells. Blood typing. Plasmapheresis. Apheresis; Humans; Medical sciences; prion; Protozoan Infections - epidemiology; Protozoan Infections - etiology; Protozoan Infections - prevention & control; review; risk; Risk Factors; transfusion; Transfusion Reaction; Transfusions. Complications. Transfusion reactions. Cell and gene therapy; transmission; virus; Virus Diseases - epidemiology; Virus Diseases - etiology; Virus Diseases - prevention & control; Transfusion; Hepatic disease; Betaherpesvirinae; Virus B19; Blood; Human cytomegalovirus; Viral hepatitis; Syphilis; Complication; Degenerative disease; Transmission from man to man; Spirachaetosis; Human; Immunopathology; Nervous system diseases; Herpesviridae; Retroviridae; Herpes; AIDS; Parasitosis; Erythrovirus; Immune deficiency; Lentivirus; Cerebral disorder; Treponematosis; Infection; Virus; Parvoviridae; Viral disease; Central nervous system disease; Risk factor; Bacteriosis; Digestive diseases; Prion; Human immunodeficiency virus; Creutzfeldt Jakob disease; Parvovirinae
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0609.1999.tb01108.x
• EISSN: 1600-0609
• ISSN: 0902-4441

: During the past decades major improvements in blood safety have been achieved, both in developed and developing countries. The introduction of donor counseling and screening for different pathogens has made blood a very safe product, especially in developed countries. However, even in these countries, there is still a residual risk for the transmission of several pathogens. For viruses such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and the hepatitis viruses B and C, this is due mainly to window‐period donations. Furthermore, the threat of newly emerging pathogens which can affect blood safety is always present. For example, the implications of the agent causing new variant Creutzfeld‐Jakob disease for transfusion practice are not yet clear. Finally, there are several pathogens, e.g. CMV and parvo B19, which are common in the general donor population, and might pose a serious threat in selected groups of immunosuppressed patients. In the future, further improvements in blood safety are expected from the introduction of polymerase chain reaction for testing and from the implementation of photochemical decontamination for cellular blood products. The situation in transfusion medicine in the developing world is much less favorable, due mainly to a higher incidence and prevalence of infectious diseases.