title: Transfusion-transmitted leishmaniasis: a practical review.
abstract: In the Balearic Islands, as in other areas in southern Europe, there are a significant proportion of asymptomatic Leishmania infantum-infected blood donors. Theoretically, these donors may represent an important challenge for blood transfusion safety. However, despite an active search of multiply transfused patients, there have been, so far, no cases of transfusion-transmitted leishmaniasis (TTL) in our region. On the other hand, there is scarce evidence of the TTL in the literature. A review of asymptomatic Leishmania-infected blood donors' studies in endemic areas and TTL reports published in the English literature were performed, to ascertain the factors that determine the real risk of transfusion transmission of Leishmania.
authors.affiliation: Fundació Banc de Sang i Teixits de les Illes Balears.|Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), Majorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jimenez-Marco
authors.affiliation: Laboratori de Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Roser
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fisa
authors.affiliation: Fundació Banc de Sang i Teixits de les Illes Balears.|Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), Majorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Girona-Llobera
authors.affiliation: Laboratori de Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cancino-Faure
authors.affiliation: Laboratori de Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomás-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Laboratori de Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berenguer
authors.affiliation: Laboratori de Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guillen
authors.affiliation: Laboratori de Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pujol
authors.affiliation: Laboratori de Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Iniesta
authors.affiliation: Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), Majorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.affiliation: Son Llàtzer Hospital.
authors.forename: Martín
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mascaró
authors.affiliation: Son Espases University Hospital, Majorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gascó
authors.affiliation: Laboratori de Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Riera
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018314:Leishmania infantum; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology