Prevalence of Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection in Blood Donors.

Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia 2020 Dec

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Chagas disease (CD) is considered a public health problem in Latin America. The northeastern region, especially the state of Ceará, still represents a major concern in terms of the risk of transmission of CD. To estimate the prevalence of T. cruzi in blood donors from the state of Ceará. This is a retrospective descriptive study that was performed in the period from 2010 to 2015 from data recorded in the computerized system of the Hematology and Hemotherapy Center of Ceará (HEMOCE in Portuguese). Of the 763,731 potential blood donors, 14,159 were serologically ineligible; 1,982 (0.33%) were serologically ineligible due to positive / inconclusive diagnosis for CD. A total of 425 individuals came to the HEMOCE to repeat the test, with 28.2% (120/425) declared ineligible for donations due to CD. No significant reduction of positive / inconclusive serology was observed in the period between 2010 and 2015, but a reduction was observed when compared to 1996/1997 in the state. The determination of the prevalence of CD in blood banks may be relevant as an indicator of the risk of CD transmission through blood transfusions in a given region. New serological tests for triage with better accuracy in screening are needed, in an attempt to reduce the unnecessary disposal of blood bags, reduce costs for the Brazilian Unified Health System, and diminish insecurity for the patient and family members. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2020; 115(6):1082-1091).

Citation

Alanna Carla da Costa, Eduardo Arrais Rocha, José Damião da Silva Filho, Arduina Sofia Ortet de Barros Vasconcelos Fidalgo, Francisca Mylena Melgaço Nunes, Carlos Eduardo Menezes Viana, Vânia Barreto Aguiar F Gomes, Maria de Fátima Oliveira. Prevalence of Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection in Blood Donors. Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia. 2020 Dec;115(6):1082-1091