Laura Tonnetti

Transfusion-transmitted Babesia microti identified through hemovigilance.

BACKGROUND: Babesia microti, the primary cause of human babesiosis in the United States, is an intraerythrocytic parasite endemic to the Northeast and upper Midwest. Published studies indicate that B. microti increasingly poses a blood safety risk. The American Red Cross Hemovigilance Program herein describes the donor and recipient characteristics of suspected transfusion‐transmitted B. microti cases reported between 2005 and 2007.

TRANSFUSION COMPLICATIONS: Transfusion‐transmitted Babesia microti identified through hemovigilance

BACKGROUND: Babesia microti, the primary cause of human babesiosis in the United States, is an intraerythrocytic parasite endemic to the Northeast and upper Midwest. Published studies indicate that B. microti increasingly poses a blood safety risk. The American Red Cross Hemovigilance Program herein describes the donor and recipient characteristics of suspected transfusion‐transmitted B. microti cases reported between 2005 and 2007.

Seroprevalence of Babesia microti in blood donors from Babesia-endemic areas of the northeastern United States: 2000 through 2007.

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.

Evaluation of the Mirasol platelet reduction technology system against Babesia microti in apheresis platelets and plasma

BACKGROUND: Babesia microti is an intraerythrocytic parasite, transmitted naturally to humans by infected ixodid ticks, that causes babesiosis. In recent years, B. microti has been identified as a growing public health concern that has also emerged as a critical blood safety issue in the absence of appropriate interventions to reduce transmission by blood transfusion. Thus, we evaluated the ability of the Mirasol pathogen reduction technology (PRT; CaridianBCT), which uses riboflavin (RB) and ultraviolet (UV) light, to diminish the presence of B. microti in apheresis plasma and platelets (PLTs).

Evaluating pathogen reduction of Trypanosoma cruzi with riboflavin and ultraviolet light for whole blood

BACKGROUND: Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan parasitic agent of Chagas disease, can be transmitted by blood transfusion. In 2007, most US blood banks started screening blood donations for T. cruzi, but the cost and perceived need of the test have been the subject of ongoing discussion. In this study, we evaluated the ability of the Mirasol System (CaridianBCT), which uses riboflavin (RB) and ultraviolet light to inactivate pathogens, to reduce the levels of infectious T. cruzi in whole blood (WB).

Riboflavin and ultraviolet light reduce the infectivity of Babesia microti in whole blood.

BACKGROUND: Babesia microti is the parasite most frequently transmitted by blood transfusion in the United States. Previous work demonstrated the efficacy of riboflavin (RB) and ultraviolet (UV) light to inactivate B. microti in apheresis plasma and platelet units. In this study we investigated the effectiveness of RB and UV light to reduce the levels of B. microti in whole blood (WB).

Babesia microti real‐time polymerase chain reaction testing of Connecticut blood donors: potential implications for screening algorithms

Babesia microti, an intraerythrocytic parasite, has been implicated in transfusion transmission. B. microti seroprevalence in Connecticut (CT) blood donors is approximately 1%; however, it is not known what percentage of donors is parasitemic and poses a risk for transmitting infection. Therefore, we determined the prevalence of demonstrable B. microti DNA in donors from a highly endemic area of CT and compared observed rates with concurrent immunofluorescence assay (IFA) testing results.

Babesia microti seroprevalence in Minnesota blood donors

The increasing frequency of transfusion‐transmitted babesiosis represents a concern for the safety of the US blood supply. The agent responsible for the disease, the intraerythrocytic parasite Babesia microti, is naturally transmitted to humans by a tick bite and is endemic in areas of the Northeast and Upper Midwest United States. In this study, we explored B. microti seroprevalence in blood donors from different areas of Minnesota (MN).

Reduction of Leishmania donovani infectivity in whole blood using riboflavin and ultraviolet light.

Leishmaniasis is a vector‐borne disease caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania sp. that is transmitted by sandflies. Travelers to endemic areas, and US military personnel stationed in the Middle East, are at risk for contracting the disease.

Description of 15 DNA-positive and antibody-negative “window-period” blood donations identified during prospective screening for Babesia microti

Blood donation screening detecting only antibodies fails to identify donors in the earliest stage of infection, before a detectable immunologic response, that is, the “window period” (WP). We present data on WP donations identified during prospective screening for Babesia microti, a transfusion‐transmissible parasite of increasing concern in the United States.