Transfusion Transmitted Infections

Transfusion transmitted infections
A number of infectious diseases (such as HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, among others) can be passed from the donor to recipient.
Among the diseases that can be transmitted via transfusion are:

• HIV-1 and HIV-2
• Human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2)
• Hepatitis C virus (responsible for >90% of post-transfusion hepatitis)
• Hepatitis B
• Treponema pallidum
• Malaria
• Chagas Disease
• variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease or "Mad Cow Disease" has been shown to be transmissible in blood products. No test exists for this, but various measures have been taken to reduce risks.

When a person's need for a transfusion can be anticipated, as in the case of scheduled surgery, autologous donation can be used to protect against disease transmission and eliminate the problem of blood type compatibility. "Directed" donations from donors known to the recipient were a common practice during the initial years of HIV. These kinds of donations are still common in developing countries.