[Post-transfusion parasite transmission: do the present controls fit with the EU directive?]

Blood transfusion has become extremely safe regarding the transmission of infectious pathogens, some of them having been responsible for mostly severe complications and a certain loss of confidence from practitioners and patients over the last decades. This may result from the strict observance of ethical principles, of a better medical selection of donors, of technical steps for preparing and qualifying blood components for therapeutic use. The transfusion systems--which vary in their constitution and missions depending on the countries or even regions--have imposed themselves strict security rules and guidelines in industrialized countries. Further, governmental sanitary authorities have set up additional surveillance systems to make the transfusion systems the safest as possible. In addition, the Council of Europe has edicted directives to redefine guidelines to the preparation, use and quality assurance of blood products, that are mandatory in countries of the European Community. Regarding the infectious risks, most recommendations have focused more on the bacterial (immediate) and the viral (mostly delayed) risks than on the parasitic risks because these risks are not only less frequent in industrialized countries, but also far less well known and even much more complex. However, because travel habits and immigrations are increasing fast, most transfusion systems or blood banks must revisit their practices and controls towards hemoparasite transmission by blood transfusion. This review aims at discussing the present controls set up in most industrialized countries and particularly in Europe regarding the risk of post-transfusion transmission of hemoparasites, and the robustness of such controls as well as how these controls may be secured by the European Directive.