title: Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus does not pose a risk to blood recipient safety.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  When xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) was first reported in association with chronic fatigue syndrome, it was suggested that it might offer a risk to blood safety. Thus, the prevalence of the virus among blood donors and, if present, its transmissibility by transfusion need to be defined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two populations of routine blood donor samples (1435 and 13,399) were obtained for prevalence evaluations; samples from a linked donor-recipient repository were also evaluated. Samples were tested for the presence of antibodies to XMRV-related recombinant antigens and/or for XMRV RNA, using validated, high-throughput systems.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The presence of antibodies to XMRV could not be confirmed among a total of 17,249 blood donors or recipients (0%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0%-0.017%); 1763 tested samples were nonreactive for XMRV RNA (0%; 95% CI, 0%-0.17%). Evidence of infection was absent from 109 recipients and 830 evaluable blood samples tested after transfusion of a total of 3741 blood components.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  XMRV and related murine leukemia virus (MLV) markers are not present among a large population of blood donors and evidence of transfusion transmission could not be detected. Thus, these viruses do not currently pose a threat to blood recipient safety and further actions relating to XMRV and MLV are not justified.
authors.affiliation: American Red Cross Holland Laboratory, Rockville, Maryland 20855, USA. dodd@usa.redcross.org
authors.forename: Roger Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Dodd
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hackett
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Linnen
authors.forename: Kerri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dorsey
authors.forename: Yanyun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Shimian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Xiaoxing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Priscilla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schochetman
authors.forename: Kui
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Carrick
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Krysztof
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Stramer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058731:Blood Safety / Q000379:methods; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012698:Serologic Tests; D014180:Transplantation / Q000502:physiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058008:Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral