Blood donations (Lyme, Babs & Malaria)

[Guest guest]

Here's an interesting tid bid from the Blood Bank:

circa 2002

QUOTE:

Malaria

Between 1958 and 1998, the CDC recorded 103 cases of transfusion-

transmitted malaria. These cases were most likely caused by donations

from people who felt well and were not aware that they were carrying

malaria. Although exceedingly rare in the US, malaria can cause

serious consequences, including fatalities. There is no practical

test available to screen donors so AABB requires blood centers to

temporarily defer blood donations from people who have visited

malarial areas in the past year or who emigrated from a malarial area

within the past three years.

Babesiosis

Babesiosis is a parasitic infection carried by the white-footed mouse

and transmitted by tick bites. It appears primarily in the

northeastern US, in coastal areas that are home to the white-footed

mouse. Cases also have been identified in the Upper Midwest and

Pacific Northwest. About 30 transfusion-associated cases have been

reported in the US. While babesiosis is often quite mild, some

patients, including those without a spleen, the elderly, or the

immunocompromised, may be at risk of serious illness. There are no

useful tests available for screening blood donors, although testing

strategies are being developed and discussed. The AABB requires that

all donors be asked if they have a history of babesiosis. Those

individuals with a history of the disease are permanently deferred

from donating blood.

Lyme Disease

Although transfusion-related cases have not been reported, public

health agencies and the AABB are monitoring this disease because of

the remote chance that it could affect transfusion safety. Lyme

disease is associated with the bite of certain species of the deer

tick, and can cause an illness that affects many systems within the

body. Donors with a history of Lyme disease can donate, provided they

have undergone a full course of antibiotic treatment and no longer

have any symptoms

END QUOTE