title: Trypanosoma cruzi parasitemia in US blood donors with serologic evidence of infection.
abstract: Trypanosoma cruzi infection (which causes Chagas disease) is typically undiagnosed and persists if untreated. We sought to affirm that T. cruzi-seropositive US blood donors have persistent infection with demonstrable parasitemia long after acquisition of infection. Fifty-two previously identified seropositive donors (positive by 2 methods) provided up to 3 blood specimens for testing by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and hemoculture; most participants (67%) provided only 1 specimen. When evaluated 2 decades after immigration, 33 donors (63%) had PCR evidence of parasitemia; 3 also had culture-confirmed infection. This affirmation that bloodstream parasites are detectable--and potentially transmissible--decades after immigration strengthens the rationale for donor screening.
authors.affiliation: Transmissible Diseases Dept., American Red Cross Holland Laboratory, 15601 Crabbs Branch Way, Rockville, MD 20855, USA. leibyd@usa.redcross.org
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Leiby
authors.forename: Ross M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Herron
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garratty
authors.forename: Barbara L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Herwaldt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001782:Blood Donors; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan