Dengue viruses (DENV) are endemic in over 100 countries, with the majority of infections asymptomatic. Dengue viruses can be trasmitted by trasfusion with several cases reported globally. Currently, there is no approved DENV test for blood screening,and although some pathogen inactivation technologies have been demonstrated to effectively inactivate DENV in plasma and platelet components. To mitigate Dengue viruses trasfusion trasmitted risk, fresh blood components are not manufactured from donors returning from any area with known dengue transmission. Alternatively, Dengue viruses trasfusion trasmitted risk may be mitigated using an appropriate blood donor screening assay. The study aimed to determine the rate of dengue infection in donors during dengue outbreaks in Australia.
Plasma samples were collected from blood donors during local dengue outbreaks in 2008/2009 and 2012/2013. All samples were tested for the presence of DENV RNA and selected samples were tested for DENV antigen (nonstructural protein 1, NS1) with two assays. No donors residing in high risk areas had etectable levels of DENV RNA or NS1 and no cases of DENV viremia were detected in blood donors residing in areas of Australia experiencing DENV outbreaks. The lack of detection of DENV RNA or antigen in donations suggests that the current risk of TT-DENV is low and maintaining the fresh component restriction for “at-risk” donors is appropriate.
J Blood Transfus. 2016;2016:3059848. Epub 2016 Nov 13
Mitigating the Risk of Transfusion-Transmitted Dengue in Australia
Rooks K, Seed CR, Fryk JJ, Hyland CA, Harley RJ, Holmberg JA, Marks DC, Flower RL, Faddy HM.