title: Targeting of blood safety measures to affected areas with ongoing local transmission of malaria.
abstract: An outbreak of locally acquired Plasmodium vivax malaria in Greece started in 2009 and peaked in 2011. Targeting of blood safety measures to affected areas with ongoing transmission of malaria raised questions of how to define spatial boundaries of such an area and when to trigger any specific blood safety measures, including whether and which blood donation screening strategy to apply. To provide scientific advice the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) organised expert meetings in 2013. The outcomes of these consultations are expert opinions covering spatial targeting of blood safety measures to affected areas with ongoing local transmission of malaria and blood donation screening strategy for evidence of malaria infection in these areas. Opinions could help EU national blood safety authorities in developing a preventive strategy during malaria outbreaks.
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Domanović
authors.affiliation: NHS Blood and Transplant, London, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitchen
authors.affiliation: Hellenic Coordinating Haemovigilance Centre, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Politis
authors.affiliation: National School of Public Health, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Panagiotopoulos
authors.affiliation: Paul Ehrlich Institute, Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bluemel
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Van Bortel
authors.affiliation: Specialists in Tropical Medicine.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Overbosch
authors.affiliation: Sanquin Blood Supply Foundations, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lieshout-Krikke
authors.affiliation: Etablissement Français du Sang, La Plaine Saint Denis Cedex, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabra
authors.affiliation: National Blood Centre, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Facco
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zeller
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D058731:Blood Safety; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D046148:Donor Selection / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission*; D008297:Male; D010966:Plasmodium vivax
keywords: European Union; blood safety; malaria