Impact of cytomegalovirus testing on blood collection facilities

561 consecutive O-negative blood donors were tested for the presence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies using an indirect fluorescent antibody test. 427 (76.1%) donors were CMV antibody positive, while 134 (23.9%) were seronegative. Males (75.1%) and females (78%) did not differ significantly in seropositivity. 17- to 20-year-old males had the lowest frequency of seropositivity (38.5%), though donors in this category represented only 4% of the 561 consecutive donors. The incidence of seropositivity increased consistently with age. Because of the difficulty in confidently generating sufficient CMV-seronegative donors, it is suggested that the exclusive use of frozen-thawed, or washed, leukocyte-poor blood, be evaluated as an alternative.