Transplant tourism and donor-derived parasitic infections

Transplant tourism, travel with the intent of receiving or donating a transplanted organ, has grown immensely in the past decade but is not without risks. Solid organ donors are potential carriers of infection and rates of infection are high in transplant recipients. Returning transplant recipients should be screened for blood-borne pathogens, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV), as well as bacteremia, urinary tract infections, and other endemic pathogens (malaria, tuberculosis, Chagas disease, and so on). Efforts should be made to optimize posttransplantation prophylaxis against infection. Although donor-derived parasitic infections are rare, rates of morbidity and mortality are high. Increases in world travel and migration will likely contribute to increases in donor-derived parasitic infection. Appropriate epidemiological screening and diagnostic testing, including blood smears, serology, and stool assays, may help reduce the risk of such transmission.