title: Considerations for screening live kidney donors for endemic infections: a viewpoint on the UNOS policy.
abstract: In February 2013, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network mandated that transplant centers perform screening of living kidney donors prior to transplantation for Strongyloides, Trypanosoma cruzi and West Nile virus (WNV) infection if the donor is from an endemic area. However, specific guidelines for screening were not provided, such as the optimal testing modalities, timing of screening prior to donation and the appropriate selection of donors. In this regard, the American Society of Transplantation Infectious Diseases Community of Practice, together with disease-specific experts, has developed this viewpoint document to provide guidance for the testing of live donors for Strongyloides, T. cruzi and WNV infection, specifically identifying at-risk populations and testing algorithms, including advantages, limitations and interpretation of results.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Denver, CO.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Levi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ison
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kaul
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Michaels
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Echenique
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Blumberg
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission*; D046148:Donor Selection; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008403:Mass Screening; D014019:Tissue Donors; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Clinical research/practice; donor evaluation; donor-derived infections; donors and donation; infectious disease