@article{bc2c6b02540e4a59ba009d0418d4e8c2,
title = "International survey on the impact of parasitic infections: frequency of transmission and current mitigation strategies",
abstract = "Background and Objectives: Globally, blood safety interventions have been successful in mitigating risk of the major transfusion-transmitted (TT) viruses. However, strategies that address risk from parasites are comparatively limited. TT parasites are often regional in nature, posing unique challenges; we sought to understand their impact on blood safety. Materials and Methods: An electronic questionnaire was distributed to transfusion medicine leaders in 100 countries. The survey focused on specific questions pertaining to four parasitic diseases: babesiosis, Chagas, leishmaniasis and malaria. Respondents provided data on historical TT cases, local epidemiology, policies to mitigate risk and an assessment of public health perceptions for each aetiologic agent. Results: Twenty-eight (28%) surveys were returned from countries in Europe (n = 13), the Americas (n = 6), Africa (n = 4), Asia (n = 3) and Oceana (n = 2). Historically, no cases of TT leishmaniasis were reported, TT babesiosis was exclusive to Canada and the USA, TT Chagas was limited to the Americas and Spain, while TT malaria was cosmopolitan. Mitigation efforts varied widely; malaria was the most frequently tested parasitic disease. The public's perception of risk for parasitic agents was low, while that of health authorities in endemic countries was higher. Conclusion: The global impact of parasitic infections on blood safety and related mitigation efforts varied widely by parasite epidemiology, test availability, public health priorities and socioeconomic constraints. While parasites continue to pose a risk to blood safety, the successful mitigation of viral risk has elevated the prominence of TT parasites in many locations, thereby requiring consideration of mitigation efforts.",
keywords = "Babesia, Leishmania, Plasmodium, Trypanosoma cruzi, public health, transfusion transmission",
author = "{for the WPTTID Subgroup on Parasites} and Leiby, {David A.} and O'Brien, {Sheila F.} and Silvano Wendel and Nguyen, {Megan L.} and Gilles Delage and Devare, {Sushil G.} and Anthony Hardiman and Nakhasi, {Hira L.} and Silvia Sauleda and Bloch, {Evan M.}",
note = "Funding Information: 1Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA 2Epidemiology and Surveillance, Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, ON, USA 3Blood Bank, Hospital Sirio Libanes, S{\~a}o Paulo, Brazil 4Transmissible Diseases Department, American Red Cross Holland Laboratory, Rockville, MD, USA 5Medical Affairs, Microbiology, Hema-Quebec, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 6Abbott Diagnostics, Lake Forest, IL, USA 7Roche Molecular Systems Inc, Pleasanton, CA, USA 8Transfusion Safety Laboratory, Catalonian Blood Bank (Banc de Sang i Teixits de Catalunya), Barcelona, Spain 9Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA Funding Information: The authors wish to thank Drs. J.P. Allain and Elizabeth Vinelli for contributing contact information for blood centres/organizations in Africa and Latin America, respectively. The authors especially wish to thank the following transfusion medicine leaders who completed the survey, listed by the country (alphabetically) and institution they represent: Australia, Clive Seed, Australian Red Cross Blood Service; Belgium, Veerle Com-pernolle, Rode Kruis-Vlaanderen; Brazil, Silvano Wendel, Hosptital Sirio Libanes Blood Bank and Centro de Imunologia e Imunogentica; Canada, Margaret Fearon & Gilles Delage, Canadian Blood Services & HemaQuebec; Croatia, Irena Jukic, Croatian Institute of Transfusion Medicine/Hrvatski zavod za transfuzijsku medicine; Denmark, Henrik Ullum, The Blood Bank, Ringshospital; England, Alan Kitchen, NHS Blood and Transplant; Finland, Susanne Ekblom-Kullberg, Finnish Red Cross Blood Service; France, Cecile Corbi, Etablisse-ment Franc{\textcopyright}ais du Sang Centre Atlantique; Germany, Kai Hourfar, German Red Cross; Ghana, Mavis Okyere, National Blood Transfusion Service; Guatemala, Claudia Garca, Ministry of Public Health; Honduras, Elizabeth Vinelli, Honduran Red Cross, National Blood Program; Hong Kong SAR, China, Che Kit Lin, Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service; Ireland, Joan O{\textquoteright}Riordan, Irish Blood Transfusion Service; Israel, Eilat Shinar, Magen David Adom Blood Services; Mexico, Julieta Rojo Medina, National Center for Blood Transfusion; New Zealand, Peter Flanagan, New Zealand Blood Service; Norway, Oystein Flesland, Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services; Poland, Aleksandra Rosiek, Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine; Portugal, Lucinda Queiros, Portuguese Blood and Transplantation Institute; Russia, Eugene Zhi-burt, Russian Transfusionist Association; South Africa, Greg Bellairs, Western Province Blood Transfusion Service; South Africa, Charlotte Ingram, South African National Blood Service; Spain, Emma Castro, Spanish Red Cross Transfusion Center; Tunisia, Kamel Boukef, Faculty of Pharmacy; United States, Susan Stramer, America Red Cross; and Wales, Lionel Mohabir, Welsh Blood Service. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 International Society of Blood Transfusion",
year = "2019",
month = jan,
doi = "10.1111/vox.12727",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "114",
pages = "17--27",
journal = "Vox sanguinis",
issn = "0042-9007",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",
number = "1",
}