Screening of Blood Donors and Recipients for Borrelia burgdorferi Antibodies: No Evidence of B. burgdorferi Infection Transmitted by Transfusion

Abstract

In the study presented here, the prevalence of antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme borreliosis, was determined in a group of blood donors from the Würzburg area (Southern Germany). 13 of 472 donors (2.7%) tested were positive by immunoblotting (IB). These 13 donors were examined in more detail by physical examination, anamnesis and determination of inflammation parameters of the blood. All persons were asymptomatic for Lyme borreliosis. One of 5 who remembered a tick bite actually had suffered from an erythema chronicum migrans 5 years ago. Another one had been affected by fever, headaches and pain in the limbs, arthralgia and motoric disorder in both hands 6 months before examination. Analysis of the blood did not provide any evidence of an acute infection. Moreover, each of the 472 serum samples was analyzed by a hemagglutination test (HAT). 26 (5.5%) showed a positive test result. In order to investigate whether a seroconversion of the recipients by transfusion of B. burgdorferi antibody-positive blood had taken place, 9 recipients of blood products originating from the 13 IB-positive donors were serologically reexamined. All samples taken proved to be antibody-negative. Consequently, the transfusion did not produce any seroconversion in the patients thus treated.

Arbobacteria – Pathogens Transmittable by Arthropods

“…The current epidemiological situation still does not justify general donor screening for Borrelia [38].…”

“…It was 2.7% in Hamburg and Würzburg and 33% in Solothurn [37][38][39]. Nine blood recipients had no antibodies against Borrelia [38] after seroconversion of the donor during follow-up, pointing to low transmission effectiveness. No transmission of Borrelia by transfusion has so far been reported in Germany.…”

Arbobakterien (über Arthropoden übertragbare Bakterien)

“…Die Seroprävalenz von Blutspendern in Deutschland und der Schweiz unterscheidet sich nicht von der der lokalen Bevöl-kerung, sie lag in Hamburg und Würz-burg bei 2,7 %, in Solothurn bei 33 % [37,38,39]. Neun Empfänger von Blut nach Serokonversion des Spenders hatten bei Nachtestung keine Borrelia-Antikörper [38], was auf eine geringe Übertragungs-effizienz hinweist.…”

“…Neun Empfänger von Blut nach Serokonversion des Spenders hatten bei Nachtestung keine Borrelia-Antikörper [38], was auf eine geringe Übertragungs-effizienz hinweist. Eine Übertragung von Borrelia über Transfusion in Deutschland ist bisher nicht berichtet worden.…”

“…Die derzeitige epidemiologische Situation rechtfertigt weiterhin kein allgemeines SpenderScreening auf Borrelia [38].…”