[Reality and importance of transfusion-transmitted malaria in a stable endemic context: Cotonou case in Benin]

Malaria endemic status of our countries supports avoiding malaria screening for the blood qualification. But this attitude makes young children, pregnant women and people without semi-immunity incur a high risk of malaria. The goal of the survey was to value the reality and the importance of transfusion-transmitted malaria and to assess its determining factors. The study included 141 packed-red-cells units transfused to 77 hospitalized recipients, not suffering from malaria and not having been transfused the last two weeks. Every packed-red-cells assigned to a patient was tested for malaria before use. Thick and thin blood film were performed 96hours after transfusion. A clinical follow-up was undertaken as well as in the hospital and at home after release. In all, 13.47% of the transfused packed-red-cells were positive for the thick blood film. Plasmodium research in patients was negative 96hours after transfusion, even in the 19 patients who had received parasitized blood units! The home follow-up had permitted to note that 15.78% of blood recipients had developed clinical malaria. Parasitic density ≥240 parasites/mm(3) seems to be a determining factor. Transfusion-transmitted malaria is a reality we ought to consider. Introduction of malaria screening in donated blood qualification testings simultaneously with a framing of the blood donors appear the lasting solution to hope in the future to limit the waited excessive blood evictions.