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- Title
Babesia microti real-time polymerase chain reaction testing of Connecticut blood donors: potential implications for screening algorithms.
- Authors
Johnson, Stephanie T.; Van Tassell, Eric R.; Tonnetti, Laura; Cable, Ritchard G.; Berardi, Victor P.; Leiby, David A.
- Abstract
Background Babesia microti, an intraerythrocytic parasite, has been implicated in transfusion transmission. B. microti seroprevalence in Connecticut ( CT) blood donors is approximately 1%; however, it is not known what percentage of donors is parasitemic and poses a risk for transmitting infection. Therefore, we determined the prevalence of demonstrable B. microti DNA in donors from a highly endemic area of CT and compared observed rates with concurrent immunofluorescence assay ( IFA) testing results. Study Design and Methods Blood samples from consenting donors in southeastern CT were collected from mid- August through early October 2009 and tested by IFA for immunoglobulin G antibodies and real-time polymerase chain reaction ( PCR) for B. microti DNA. IFA specificity was determined using blood donor samples collected in northwestern Vermont ( VT), an area nonendemic for Babesia. Results Of 1002 CT donors, 25 (2.5%) were IFA positive and three (0.3%) were real-time PCR positive. Among the three real-time PCR-positive donors, two were also IFA positive, while one was IFA negative and may represent a window period infection. The two IFA- and real-time PCR-positive donors appeared to subsequently clear infection. The other real-time PCR-positive donor did not provide follow-up samples. Of 1015 VT donors tested by IFA, only one (0.1%) was positive, but may have acquired infection during travel to an endemic area. Conclusion We prospectively identified several real-time PCR-positive blood donors, including an IFA-negative real-time PCR-positive donor, in an area highly endemic for B. microti. These results suggest the need to include nucleic acid testing in planned mitigation strategies for B. microti.
- Subjects
BABESIA; BLOOD transfusion; BLOOD donors; BACTERIAL DNA; POLYMERASE chain reaction; NUCLEIC acid analysis; HEALTH
- Publication
Transfusion, 2013, Vol 53, Issue 11, p2644
- ISSN
0041-1132
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/trf.12125