title: Transfusion-transmitted infectious diseases.
abstract: A spectrum of blood-borne infectious agents is transmitted through transfusion of infected blood donated by apparently healthy and asymptomatic blood donors. The diversity of infectious agents includes hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV-1/2), human T-cell lymphotropic viruses (HTLV-I/II), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Parvovirus B19, West Nile Virus (WNV), Dengue virus, trypanosomiasis, malaria, and variant CJD. Several strategies are implemented to reduce the risk of transmitting these infectious agents by donor exclusion for clinical history of risk factors, screening for the serological markers of infections, and nucleic acid testing (NAT) by viral gene amplification for direct and sensitive detection of the known infectious agents. Consequently, transfusions are safer now than ever before and we have learnt how to mitigate risks of emerging infectious diseases such as West Nile, Chikungunya, and Dengue viruses.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. jpa1000@cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Allain
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Stramer
authors.forename: A B F
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Carneiro-Proietti
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Lopes da Silva
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Proietti
authors.forename: Henk W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Reesink
mesh_terms: D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012449:Safety; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014180:Transplantation; D014181:Transplantation Immunology / Q000502:physiology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology