title: Seroepidemiology of Trypanosoma cruzi, etiologic agent of Chagas' disease, in US blood donors.
abstract: A comprehensive seroepidemiologic study was conducted in two Red Cross regions (Los Angeles and Miami) to determine the prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies in at-risk blood donors, to identify additional risk factors, and to assess the likelihood of transmitting T. cruzi by transfusion. At-risk and control donors were stratified by a broad risk question, tested for T. cruzi antibodies, and if confirmed as seropositive, enrolled in case-control and lookback investigations. A total of 299,398 donors were queried; 23,978 at-risk and 25,587 control donations were tested, and T. cruzi antibodies were confirmed in 34 donors (33 and 1, respectively). Seropositive donors shared one risk factor; birth/extensive time in a T. cruzi-endemic area. Lookback studies identified 11 recipients, all negative for T. cruzi antibodies. Screening strategies that use a question are unlikely to identify all seropositive donors. The lack of definitive data on the risk of transmission by transfusion indicates additional studies of donors and recipients are needed.
authors.affiliation: Transmissible Diseases Department, American Red Cross, Holland Laboratory, Rockville, Maryland 20855, USA.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Leiby
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Read
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Lenes
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Yund
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Stumpf
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Kirchhoff
authors.forename: R Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Dodd
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D001782:Blood Donors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012011:Red Cross; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan