From Pub Med
Abstract
Infections of humans with intraerythrocytic parasites of the genus Babesia can be locally prevalent in diverse regions of the United States. Transfusion of blood and blood products collected from donors infected with Babesia may result in a serious illness that can be fatal. In September 2008, the Food and Drug Administration organized a public workshop to discuss the various aspects of transfusion-transmitted babesiosis in the United States including the possible strategies to identify and defer blood donors who may have been infected with Babesia. Discussions were also held on the biology, pathogenesis, and epidemiology of Babesia species. In this article, we summarize the scientific presentations and panel discussions that took place during the workshop.
- If you are interested in this article, you might want to read these:
- Erlichiosis- Boy Gets Rare Tick Infection Through Transfusion
- Anaplasmosis- Anaplasma phagocytophilum Transmitted Through Blood Transfusion — Minnesota, 2007
- Tick Borne Illnesses Infiltrate our Blood Supply
- Babesia Transmitted Through a Blood Transfusion in California
- Can Babesia be Transmitted Through a Blood Tranfusion?
- Currently, there are no FDA licensed tests to screen blood donations for Babesia
- Erlichiosis Found in Blood Banks
- CDC Debunked
- Transmission Methods with Tick Borne Infections
- Hospitals Knowingly Dispense Poisoned Blood
Babesiosis is borne of a parasite that can be traced before a blood transfusion. So why do four in every 1,000 donations still contain the potentially deadly disease?