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Tordon B, Drews SJ, Flahr F, Bennett K, Gaziano T, Anderson D, Nahirniak S, Gerges H, Tyrrell GJ, Mah J, Ndao M, Bigham M, Seftel M. Canadian Blood Services traceback investigation of a suspected case of transfusion-transmitted malaria. Transfusion 2023; 63:2001-2006. [PMID: 37715564 DOI: 10.1111/trf.17549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A 4-month-old infant hospitalized since birth received multiple blood transfusions. In March 2022, Plasmodium falciparum was confirmed with nucleic acid testing. As the mother was assessed as unlikely to be the source of infection, the blood operator initiated a traceback investigation for a potential blood donor source. The patient had received 13 red blood cell (RBC) transfusions (aliquoted from 11 donors), 4 apheresis platelet (PLT) transfusions and 16 buffy coat pooled PLT transfusions. The blood operator medical team developed a supplementary malaria infection risk questionnaire to identify donors at highest risk of life-time malaria infection, based on birthplace, residence, or travel in malaria-endemic regions. RESULTS With 79 donors initially implicated, initial focus was on donors of RBC components. The 11 RBC donors were contacted and assessed using the supplementary questionnaire. Three donors, all of whom met current malaria-related donor eligibility criteria, were deemed high risk of prior malaria infection. These donors consented to P. falciparum serology and nucleic acid testing (NAT). One donor who was born and had resided in an endemic West African country for 14 years, was positive for P. falciparum by serology (indirect fluorescent antibody test) and NAT-(Ct ≥32). Lookback of this donor's transfused fresh co-components and prior donation identified no other malaria cases. CONCLUSION This was a probable transfusion-transmitted malaria (TTM) case from an eligible donor who in retrospect was found to have unrecognized, asymptomatic, semi-immune malaria infection, and who was potentially infectious. Blood donor lack of recall of prior malaria infection does not negate the risk of TTM from those who have lived in malaria-endemic countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Tordon
- Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL), Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Steven J Drews
- Microbiology, Donation Policy & Studies, Canadian Blood Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Susan Nahirniak
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Hanan Gerges
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Gregory J Tyrrell
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- APL Public Health, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jordan Mah
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Momar Ndao
- National Reference Centre for Parasitology, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mark Bigham
- Canadian Blood Services, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Matthew Seftel
- Canadian Blood Services, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Butler-Foster T, Pambrun C, Flahr F, Yan M. Directed Donation Utilization and Donor Health Trends at Canadian Blood Services. Transfus Med Rev 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tmrv.2020.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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