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[Cytomegalovirus transmission following a blood transfusion]
In order to assess the incidence of anti-CMV antibodies in blood donors and the possible transmission of infection in blood transfusions, 900 donors, 60 patients serum negative or positive patients given serum positive blood and 5 immature serum negative patients given serum negative blood were examined. At 67.11% the incidence of anti-CMV antibodies in the donors was in line with reports in the literature. It was also noted that reinfection arose when serum positive blood was given (36.36% of the serum negative patients and 10.52% of the serum positive ones developed anti-CMV antibodies indicating infection or reinfection; none of the 5 immature patients revealed anti-CMV antibodies). It is concluded that the routine search for anti-CMV antibodies is impracticable given the high incidence of serum-positive donors and that the technique should be reserved for particular cases: the young, the pregnant, transplant patients, immunodepressed subjects. However the best way to prevent the transmission of disease remains the avoidance of unnecessary transfusions.
In order to assess the incidence of anti-CMV antibodies in blood donors and the possible transmission of infection in blood transfusions, 900 donors, 60 patients serum negative or positive patients given serum positive blood and 5 immature serum negative patients given serum negative blood were examined. At 67.11% the incidence of anti-CMV antibodies in the donors was in line with reports in the literature. It was also noted that reinfection arose when serum positive blood was given (36.36% of the serum negative patients and 10.52% of the serum positive ones developed anti-CMV antibodies indicating infection or reinfection; none of the 5 immature patients revealed anti-CMV antibodies). It is concluded that the routine search for anti-CMV antibodies is impracticable given the high incidence of serum-positive donors and that the technique should be reserved for particular cases: the young, the pregnant, transplant patients, immunodepressed subjects. However the best way to prevent the transmission of disease remains the avoidance of unnecessary transfusions.