Transfusion transmitted infection: viral and exotic diseases

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B R Wylie1

  • 1NSW Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Sydney, Australia.

Anaesthesia and Intensive Care
|February 1, 1993
PubMed

Insights

Blood transfusions can transmit viral and exotic diseases like HIV and malaria. However, Australian blood banks use screening to minimize this risk, making infection transmission less than 0.1%.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Transfusion Medicine
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Blood transfusions carry a risk of transmitting various viral and exotic infections.
  • Common examples include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis viruses (A-E), syphilis, malaria, HTLV-1, and cytomegalovirus.
  • Less common but significant risks involve Chagas' disease, Lyme disease, and Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To outline the spectrum of diseases transmissible via blood transfusion.
  • To highlight the effectiveness of current screening procedures in mitigating these risks.
  • To quantify the residual risk of transfusion-transmitted infections.

Main Methods:

  • Review of known transfusion-transmitted pathogens.
  • Description of screening protocols employed in Australian blood banks.
  • Estimation of infection transmission risk based on current practices.

Main Results:

  • A range of viral and exotic pathogens can be transmitted through blood transfusion.
  • Current screening methods in Australian blood banks significantly reduce the risk of infection.
  • The overall risk of acquiring an infection via blood transfusion is less than 0.1%.

Conclusions:

  • While transfusion-transmitted infections are a concern, rigorous screening protocols are effective.
  • The risk associated with blood transfusion in Australia is acceptably low.
  • Continued vigilance and adherence to screening procedures are essential for blood safety.

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