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A Case of Possible Chagas Transmission by Blood Transfusion in Switzerland
Judith Ries1, Adriana Komarek1, Jochen Gottschalk1
1Blood Transfusion Service Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Background:
Transfusion-transmitted Chagas disease has been reported from endemic countries in Latin America. Switzerland is a non-endemic country but high prevalence of antibodies against Trypanosoma cruzi was found among immigrants. Immigrants may participate in blood donation; therefore, risk-adapted anti-T. cruzi screening for blood donors was implemented in Switzerland in 2013.
Methods:
Between January 2013 and July 2015, 1 out of 1,183 at-risk donors, tested at Blood Transfusion Service Zurich, was found anti-T. cruzi IgG-positive.
Results And Conclusion:
Out of 54 donations given by the index donor (ID), we identified 77 blood products which were delivered to hospitals. Archived serum samples from the donations given during the prior 5 years were available for retrospective testing. All samples from ID revealed positive findings for anti-T. cruzi IgG. Donor-triggered look-back procedure identified a 70-year-old male recipient of a platelet concentrate (PC) donated by ID. The recipient succumbed of acute T. cruzi infection 2 years after transfusion of the PC.
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