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Updated: Jun 1, 2026
Preparation and Pathogen Inactivation of Double Dose Buffy Coat Platelet Products using the INTERCEPT Blood System
Published on: December 7, 2012
[Control of transfusional transmission]
Helio Moraes-Souza1, Márcia Maria Ferreira-Silva
1Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil. helio.moraes@dcm.uftm.edu.br
Insights
Chagas disease transmission via blood transfusions significantly decreased in Brazil due to vector control and donor screening. However, migration has made Chagas disease a global concern, requiring new strategies for transfusion safety.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Chagas disease was primarily transmitted through blood transfusions in Latin America during the 1960s and 1970s.
- Vector control and serologic screening of blood donors dramatically reduced transmission rates in Brazil.
- Migration has introduced Chagas disease to non-endemic regions, posing a global health risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the historical trends and current challenges of Chagas disease transmission through blood transfusions.
- To evaluate the impact of control strategies in endemic and non-endemic countries.
- To discuss future directions for managing transfusion-transmitted Chagas disease.
Main Methods:
- Review of epidemiological data on Chagas disease prevalence and transmission.
- Analysis of blood donor screening and vector control program outcomes.
- Assessment of Chagas disease spread due to international migration.
Main Results:
- Transfusion-transmitted Chagas disease rates in Brazil decreased from 20,000 to 13 annually over four decades.
- Seropositivity in Brazilian blood donors dropped from 6.9% to 0.2%.
- Chagas disease is now a global issue due to migration, affecting non-endemic countries.
Conclusions:
- Effective vector control and blood donor screening are crucial for preventing Chagas disease transmission.
- Managing Chagas disease in non-endemic countries requires addressing challenges like inconclusive test results and donor guidelines.
- Integrated strategies are essential for worldwide control of vector-borne and transfusion-transmitted Chagas disease.
Abstract:
The high prevalence of chagasic blood donors in blood centers in Brazil (6.9%) and in Latin America (6.5%) in the 60's and 70's, together with the combat to the vector since the 70's have made transfusion Chagas disease the main mechanism of the disease transmission in the 80's. However, the highly favorable results achieved to eliminate the vector and the serologic screening of blood donors, reduced the prevalence of serum positivity to 0.2% and 1.3%, respectively and the rate of annual transmission through blood transfusion from 20.000 to 13 in four decades in Brazil. Nevertheless, despite outstanding advancements in endemic countries, Chagas disease reached, via migration, non-endemic countries in North America and Europe besides Japan and Australia, placing their blood recipients at risk and turning Chagas disease into a worldwide health problem. Transfusion safety through serologic selection raised another big issue i.e. high proportion of inconclusive reactions as well as two great challenges: the meaning of such exams and what guidelines to provide the donor. However, the strategies adopted by non-endemic countries and the advancements achieved by endemics so far forecast the highly wished vector and transfusion control of Chagas disease.
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