Documented cases of post-transfusion malaria occurring in England: a review in relation to current and proposed donor-selection guidelines.
OBJECTIVE
Although uncommon, five cases of transfusion-transmitted malaria have been documented in England over the last 20 years. With the reappearance onto the market of high-quality malaria antibody assays, and by utilizing the results of analysis of these five cases, it has been possible to review the donor malaria-deferral guidelines.


METHODS
Details of the five cases of post-transfusion malaria were reviewed against the proposed new donor-deferral guidelines for malaria.


RESULTS
Three of the five cases of post-transfusion malaria were directly attributable to the deferral guidelines, allowing infectious donors to be bled.


CONCLUSIONS
The proposed new guidelines will prevent further cases of transmission from semi-immune individuals.
Kitchen
A D
AD
National Transfusion Microbiology Laboratories, National Blood Service, London, UK. alan.kitchen@nbs.nhs.uk
Barbara
J A J
JA
Hewitt
P E
PE
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D001771:Blood Banks; D001782:Blood Donors; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D046148:Donor Selection; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012306:Risk; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014195:Travel; D014330:Tropical Medicine
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan