Strategies to Managing Emerging Transfusion Transmissible Infectious Diseases

This session was held on June 18 2023, during the 33rd Regional ISBT Congress that was held in Gothenburg, Sweden, from June 17-21.

The TTID impact and surveillance session included the following presentations:

1. Mike Busch: Strategies to Managing Emerging Transfusion Transmissible Infectious Diseases
2. Jose Eduardo (Dudi) Levi: Introduction of new assays for emerging infectious agents
3. Sheila OBrien: Blood Donor Surveillance, Risk Assessment and Policy
MODERATORS: Sofia Nyström, Helen Faddy

After the presentation, there was a questions and answers session of about 5 minutes, which is also included in the recording.

Abstract

AD04-L01
Strategies to managing emerging transfusion transmissible infectious diseases
M P Busch^1,2
1Vitalant Research Institute, 2Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, United States

Since the 1970s, introduction of serological assays targeting virus-specific antibodies and antigens has been effective in identifying blood donations infected with the classic transfusion-transmitted infectious agents (TTIs; hepatitis B virus [HBV], HIV, human T-cell lymphotropic virus types I and II, hepatitis C virus [HCV]). Subsequently, progressive implementation of nucleic acid amplification technology (NAT) screening for HIV, HCV, and HBV has reduced the residual risk of infectious window-period donations, such that per unit risks are <1 in 1,000,000 in the United States and other high-income countries, although risk of classic TTIs remains a problem in developing countries with inadequate testing resources or infrastructure.

Although there is continual need for and programs that monitor current risks due to established TTI, ongoing challenges in blood safety primarily relate to surveillance for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) coupled with development of rapid response mechanisms when such agents are identified. NAT screening has emerged as a preferred option for detection of newer potential TTIs including West Nile virus, Hepatitis E Virus, Zika virus and Babesia microti.

Recent progress in development and implementation of pathogen-reduction technologies also provide the opportunity for proactive rather than reactive response to blood-safety threats. This presentation will summarise these advances in TTI safety and EID surveillance and review several recent responses to EID threats including WNV, XMRV, Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika viruses and epidemic respiratory viruses including SARS-CoV-2.