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[Is syphilis test necessary in blood donors?]
María Rebeca F Rivera-López1, Alfonso Arenas-Esqueda, Raúl Ambriz-Fernández
1Banco Central de Sangre, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Distrito Federal, México, Mexico. riveramr2003@yahoo.com.mx
Revista Medica Del Instituto Mexicano Del Seguro Social
|July 24, 2009
Summary
Syphilis testing in blood donors is mandatory, but transmission via blood is rare. This study found a low prevalence of confirmed syphilis infections among blood donors, suggesting current screening may be overly broad.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
- Hematology
Background:
- Syphilis testing is mandated for blood donors in many regions.
- However, blood transfusion is not a significant route for Treponema pallidum transmission.
- This highlights a potential discrepancy between mandatory screening and actual risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of syphilis among blood donors.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of current syphilis screening protocols in this population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of blood donor screening tests from July 2001 to June 2006.
- Utilized VDRL or USR for initial screening, followed by FTA-ABS or TPHA for confirmation.
- Analyzed data from over 190,000 blood donors.
Main Results:
- The first period (2001-2003) showed a confirmed syphilis prevalence of 0.17% (196/111,030).
- The second period (2005-2006) indicated a confirmed syphilis prevalence of 0.08% (approximately 64/80,578).
- Initial screening tests (VDRL/USR) yielded higher positive rates than confirmed infections.
Conclusions:
- Confirmed syphilis infection rates in blood donors are low.
- The mandatory syphilis testing for blood donors may warrant re-evaluation given the low prevalence and transmission risk.
- Further research could refine screening strategies to balance public health safety and resource allocation.
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