6533b872fe1ef96bd12d3047

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Serological screening for Leishmania infantum in asymptomatic blood donors living in an endemic area (Sicily, Italy)

Valentina Frasca PolaraTeresa BaroneClaudia ColombaLucina TitoneAntonino CorraoLaura Saporito

subject

Blood transfusionmedicine.medical_treatmentAntibodies ProtozoanBlood DonorsParasitemiaAsymptomaticSerologyleishmaniaparasitic diseasesmedicineAnimalsHumansLeishmania infantumbiologyTransmission (medicine)business.industryHematologybiology.organism_classificationmedicine.diseaseVisceral leishmaniasisItalyImmunologybiology.proteinLeishmaniasis VisceralLeishmania infantumAntibodymedicine.symptombusiness

description

The purpose of our study was to assess whether Leishmania infantum parasitemia occurs in asymptomatic Leishmania-seropositive subjects. Samples from 500 blood donors were tested using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Anti-Leishmania antibodies were not found in any sample. Our findings suggest that the risk of L. infantum transmission by blood transfusion in Sicily is very low.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.transci.2005.07.009