title: Retroviral infections transmitted by blood transfusion.
abstract: Modifications in donor screening and the introduction of laboratory testing of donated blood for anti-HIV-1 and anti-HTLV-I have resulted in a significant reduction in the risks of retroviral infections from blood transfusion. Presently, the American Red Cross detects an average of eight carriers of human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) per 100,000 otherwise acceptable blood donors (0.008 percent), compared with an average of 35 per 100,000 (0.035 percent) when testing for HIV-1 antibodies began in 1985. Surveillance studies in the United States indicate a small likelihood that HIV-2 carriers will pass current screening procedures and be accepted as blood donors. Even if an HIV-2-infected person were to be accepted as a blood donor, there is a 42-92 percent likelihood that this person's blood would be detected as infective for HIV-2 and excluded because of serological cross-reactions that occur in the EIA for HIV-1 antibodies. During 1989, which was the first year that donated blood was routinely tested for antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus, type I (HTLV-I) in the United States, approximately nine in 100,000 donors (0.009 percent) were confirmed positive for antibodies to HTLV-I, and their donated blood was excluded. Subsequent testing has revealed that a significant number of these persons whose sera was reactive by the HTLV-I EIA were, in fact, infected by HTLV-II. Epidemiological studies of human retroviral infections (HIV-1, HIV-2, HTLV-I, and HTLV-II) continue to provide important data and direction for improving criteria for qualifying blood donors.
authors.affiliation: Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Sandler
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections / Q000635:transmission; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015497:HIV-1; D015498:HIV-2; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2; D006801:Humans; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D012307:Risk Factors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D015488:HIV Antigens