Seroprevalence of Babesia microti in blood donors – with commentary from Linda

**********Sorry but it is “common sense” to me that we are passing on Lyme with blood donations.  They are once AGAIN exposing the consumers unnecessarily, just like they did for years passing on Hepatitis to those receiving blood transfusions…..makes you wonder how many hemophilacs now test positive for Lyme and Company or show symptoms of this horrific disease….
 
*********What is it going to take to make the American Red Cross and our government to develop a testing method of blood donations to see if the blood is dirty???  I guess that is asking too much, since they don’t even have Lyme tests readily available to be able to diagnosis Lyme patients properly.
 
*********The Lyme communities need to organize and make it happen…..When I had to have blood taken from me because of coagulation problem I made sure they dumped it as bio-hazard materials…I could never live with myself knowing I gave this disease to some unsuspecting person….
 
Regards,
Linda
 
Transfusion. 2009 Oct 10; [Epub ahead of print]
 
Seroprevalence of Babesia microti in blood donors from Babesia-endemic areas of
the northeastern United States: 2000 through 2007.
 
Johnson ST, Cable RG, Tonnetti L, Spencer B, Rios J, Leiby DA.
 
From the Transmissible Diseases Department, Jerome H. Holland Laboratory, and
Biomedical Services, American Red Cross, Farmington, Connecticut; the
Transmissible Diseases Department, Jerome H. Holland Laboratory, American Red
Cross, Rockville, Maryland; and Biomedical Services, American Red Cross, Dedham,
Massachusetts.
 
BACKGROUND: Current estimates of 70 cases of transfusion-transmitted Babesia
microti, with 12 associated deaths, suggest that Babesia is a growing blood
safety concern. The extent of Babesia infections among blood donors has not been
well defined. To determine how common exposure to B. microti is among blood
donors, a seroprevalence study was undertaken in the American Red Cross
Northeast Division.
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:
Blood donations at selected blood
drives in Connecticut and Massachusetts (2000 through 2007) were tested for the
presence of immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibodies to B. microti using
immunofluorescence assay. Geographic and temporal trends of B. microti
seroprevalence were estimated for donor’s zip code of residence.
RESULTS:
Overall, a 1.1% seroprevalence was identified in Connecticut, with the highest
levels found in two Southeastern counties (Middlesex and New London). Observed
seroprevalence for offshore islands of Massachusetts was 1.4%. Seropositive
donations were identified from donors residing in all eight counties in
Connecticut and three counties in Massachusetts. Although a seasonal peak was
found between July and September, seropositive donations were identified in
every month of the year.
CONCLUSIONS: Foci of statistically higher B. microti
seroprevalence among blood donors were observed; however, B. microti transfusion
transmission risk exists for blood collected throughout Connecticut and portions
of Massachusetts. Similarly, a seasonal peak was identified; nevertheless,
seropositive donations were found year-round. Thus, geographic and/or seasonal
exclusion methods are insufficient to fully safeguard the blood supply from
Babesia transmission. Steps should be taken to reduce risk of
transfusion-transmitted B. microti, perhaps through implementation of
year-round, regional testing.
 
http://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&id=19821951&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks
PMID: 19821951  [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]