Transfusion‐associated Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) in Mexico: implications for transfusion medicine in the United States

Abstract

These findings indicate clearly that transfusion-associated transmission of T. cruzi is occurring in the study areas. Serologic testing of blood donors for Chagas disease should be performed there and in the rest of Mexico. The two screening assays evaluated may lack the accuracy necessary for blood donor testing when used as suggested by the manufacturers.

Transmission of Tropical and Geographically Restricted Infections during Solid-Organ Transplantation

“…All cases occurred in immunosuppressed patients, and it is thus possible that the number of cases may be underestimated, as the disease may be asymptomatic or manifest with only mild symptoms in immunocompetent patients (53,85,144,209,226). The American Red Cross recently conducted a study to evaluate an assay for detecting T. cruzi in blood donations, identifying approximately 1 in 4,650 specimens as being positive.…”

The potential for emergence of Chagas disease in the United States

“…In particular, Kirchhoff et al (2006) found that even when four recipients of infected blood demonstrated acute symptoms of Chagas disease, the physicians failed to make the diagnosis. Consequently, the oversight was attributed to mild symptoms and the physicians' lack of awareness with respect to Chagas disease transmission through blood transfusion (Kirchhoff et al, 2006).…”

“…Consequently, the oversight was attributed to mild symptoms and the physicians' lack of awareness with respect to Chagas disease transmission through blood transfusion (Kirchhoff et al, 2006). The blood supply in the United States is vulnerable to T. cruzi contamination due to an increasing Latin American population emigrating from countries where Chagas disease is endemic (Kirchhoff et al, 1987(Kirchhoff et al, , 2006Kirchhoff, 1993;Leiby et al, 2002;Beard et al, 2003), even though screening of blood for Chagas disease will begin soon in the United States (CDC, 2006;Lee, 2006).…”

“…The triatomine's activity level is affected by temperature, and physicians are often the first to diagnose and respond to an emerging disease threat. Additionally, the literature indicates that cases beyond the six recorded so far are likely to have gone undiagnosed, indicating a need to evaluate physician awareness (Kirchhoff et al, 1987;Kirchhoff, 1993;Holbert et al, 1995;Leiby et al, 2000Leiby et al, , 2002Zayas et al, 2001;Kirchhoff et al, 2006;Dorn et al, 2007). Through the use of geographical information system (GIS) and survey analyses, this study examines the role that climate conditions (temperature) and disease awareness among physicians can play in the potential emergence of Chagas disease in the United States.…”

Perfil Epidemiológico De Doadores De Sangue Soropositivos Para Doença De Chagas Na Região Sul

“…Vários indivíduos que se encontram na fase crônica são assintomáticos, assim a transmissão pode ocorrer por intermédio de hemocomponentes oriundos de doadores infectados que desconhecem a existência dessa infecção. 4 A infectividade do componente sangüíneo depende da cepa do parasita, da parasitemia na hora da doação, do estado imunológico do receptor, do número de transfusões e do volume de sangue transfundido.…”