Introduction: Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite which can be transmitted to human through a variety of routes including blood transfusion. This cross sectional study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection and related epidemiological features among healthy blood donors. Methodology: A total of 1,480 healthy blood donors from five blood service centers in Fars province were analyzed for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies. Blood samples were tested for anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies by enzyme immunoassay. IgM-positive samples were also tested for the presence of Toxoplasma DNA by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Demographic characteristics of participants were also recorded during samples collection. Results: Anti T. gondii antibodies were detected in sera of 286 out of 1,480 blood donors corresponding to an overall seroprevalence of 19.3% in this population. From these, 182 (12.3%) were seropositive only for IgG, 81 (5.47%) were seropositive only for IgM and 23 (1.6%) were positive for both IgG and IgM. PCR detected active parasitemia in two (1.9%) of the IgM-positive subjects. Age, place of residence and level of education were statistically significant (p < 0.05) with seropositivity to Toxoplasma. Conclusions: Our results highlighted that asymptomatic blood donors, especially those with active parasitemia, may constitute a significant risk of transmitting toxoplasmosis to susceptible recipients.

Effective measures are required for documenting the impact of deferral on blood availability, monitoring the effectiveness of and need for deferral, and determining the reasons and rates of deferral.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: The adequacy of blood depends on blood donation rates and numbers of blood donors. To prepare adequate blood supplies, it is essential to investigate the barriers and factors that stop individuals from donating. This study aimed to identify the causes of lapsed donation at our center. DESIGN AND SETTING:Cross-sectional study of volunteer blood donors in Shiraz, Iran. The participants were recruited by letter and telephone, and were interviewed using a specially designed questionnaire that contained items on demographic characteristics, donor motivations and reasons for not returning to donate. We used the chi-square test to identify associations between lapsed donor characteristics and reasons for declining to donate. METHODS: RESULTS:The greatest motivation for donation was altruism. The most frequent reasons for lapsed donation were lack of time because of work and self-exclusion for medical reasons. Among first-time donors, the most frequent reasons were unsuitability for donation and lack of time. CONCLUSIONS:The reasons for not returning to donate are varied and may correlate with demographic characteristics. In this study, the main reason for not returning was lack of time. Changing donation hours so that donors can donate after work, providing mobile teams at workplaces, and shortening the duration of the donation process may help increase repeat donation rates. RESUMENCONTEXTO Y OBJETIVO: La idoneidad de la sangre y los productos sanguíneos depende de las tasas de donación y el número de donantes. Para preparar un suministro suficiente es esencial conocer las barreras y los factores que llevan a los individuos a dejar de donar. Hemos diseñado un estudio tipo encuesta para identificar las causes de la dejación de donar en nuestro centro. DISEÑO Y EMPLAZAMIENTO: Estudio transversal de los donantes de sangre voluntarios en Shiraz (Irán).MÉTODOS: Hemos seleccionado 850 donantes históricos que donaron entre el 1 de enero del 2005 y el 1 de junio del 2005, pero que no habían vuelto a donar para junio del 2008. Los participantes fueron reclutados por escrito (carta) y por teléfono, y fueron entrevistados con un cuestionario diseñado específicamente para este estudio y que contenía ítems sobre las características demográficas, las motivaciones del donante y las razones por las que no había vuelto a donar. Usamos la prueba de la ji-cuadrado para identificar las asociaciones entre la dejación de donar y las razones por dejar de donar.RESULTADOS: La motivación más frecuente para donar fue el altruismo. Las razónes más frecuentes para dejar de donar fue la falta de tiempo por motivos laborales, y la auto-exclusión por razones médicas. En los donantes primerizos, las razones más frecuentes fueron la no-idoneidad para donar y la falta de tiempo por motivos laborales. CONCLUSIONS:Las razones que llevan a la dejación de donar son diversas y pueden estar relacionadas con las características demográficas. In este estudio la razón principal fue la falta de tiempo por motivos laborales. Un cam...

Positivity of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C in patients enrolled in a confidential self-exclusion system of blood donation: a cross-sectional analytical study METHODS:The results from the abovementioned tests were compared between donors who opted into and out of CSE.RESULTS: 100,148 donors in 2006 and 104,271 in 2007 gave blood. Among these donors, respectively, 829 (0.82%) and 592 (0.57%) opted for the CSE. The prevalence of HIV antibodies, HBS antigens and HCV antibodies in CSE donors was significantly higher than in donors who did not choose CSE (P < 0.05). The prevalence of at least one of these three infections among CSE donors was 3.12% in 2006 and 3.04% in 2007, and was significantly higher than the prevalence among non-CSE donors (0.58% and 0.57%, respectively). CONCLUSION:Because of the higher prevalence of HBS, HCV and HIV positivity in blood donors who chose the CSE option, offering CSE to blood donors could be a potentially useful method for improving blood safety, since it could increase the detection of infected blood during the window period.

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