Red Cross & Additional Studies
Transmitting Lyme and Tick Borne Disease Organisms
Through Blood Transfusions
Quote (2019 Study)- "B. microti-positive donors were implicated in 77 of 143 suspect TTB cases investigated from 2010 through 2017. In four cases, two positive donors were identified for a total of 81 positive donors. In three cases, a RBC unit was split and components transfused multiple times to the same pediatric recipient. RBCs were the transmitting product in all cases." Source
Quote- "The organism [Lyme] was shown to survive in RBCs [red blood cells] (4 degrees C) and FFP [fresh frozen plasma] (below -18 degrees C) for 45 days and in PCs [platelet concentrates] (20-24 degrees C) for 6 days. The results of this study do not exclude the possibility of transmission of Lyme disease through blood transfusion." [See 1989 abstract below.]
Quote- "Refrigeration of B. divergens leads to an alteration of parasite morphology and a decrease in parasite numbers. However, there are sufficient parasites that are robust enough to survive 31 days of storage at 4°C and yield high end-point parasitemia." [Impact of Cold Storage- 2014- abstract below]
Stramer SL.
ISBT Sci Ser. 2014 Jul;9(1):30-36. Epub 2014 Jul 28.
Goodell AJ, Bloch EM, Krause PJ, Custer B.
Transfusion. 2014 Sep;54(9):2245-57. doi: 10.1111/trf.12805. Epub 2014 Aug 11.
Levin AE, Williamson PC, Erwin JL, Cyrus S, Bloch EM, Shaz BH, Kessler D, Telford SR 3rd, Krause PJ, Wormser GP, Ni X, Wang H, Krueger NX, Caglioti S, Busch MP.
Transfusion. 2014 Sep;54(9):2237-44. doi: 10.1111/trf.12763. Epub 2014 Jul 4.
Moritz ED, Winton CS, Johnson ST, Krysztof DE, Townsend RL, Foster GA, Devine P, Molloy P, Brissette E, Berardi VP, Stramer SL.
Transfusion. 2014 Sep;54(9):2226-36. doi: 10.1111/trf.12693. Epub 2014 May 28.
A longitudinal study of Babesia microti infection in seropositive blood donors.
Leiby DA, Johnson ST, Won KY, Nace EK, Slemenda SB, Pieniazek NJ, Cable RG, Herwaldt BL.
Transfusion. 2014 Sep;54(9):2217-25. doi: 10.1111/trf.12622. Epub 2014 Mar 28.
Sonnleitner ST, Fritz J, Bednarska M, Baumgartner R, Simeoni J, Zelger R, Schennach H, Lass-Flörl C, Edelhofer R, Pfister K, Milhakov A, Walder G.
Transfusion. 2014 Jul;54(7):1725-32. doi: 10.1111/trf.12606. Epub 2014 Mar 28.
Emerging Pathogens - How Safe is Blood?
Schmidt M, Geilenkeuser WJ, Sireis W, Seifried E, Hourfar K.
Transfus Med Hemother. 2014 Feb;41(1):10-7. doi: 10.1159/000358017. Epub 2013 Dec 27. Review.
Simon MS, Leff JA, Pandya A, Cushing M, Shaz BH, Calfee DP, Schackman BR, Mushlin AI.
Transfusion. 2014 Mar;54(3 Pt 2):889-99. doi: 10.1111/trf.12492. Epub 2013 Nov 19.
Vichinsky E, Neumayr L, Trimble S, Giardina PJ, Cohen AR, Coates T, Boudreaux J, Neufeld EJ, Kenney K, Grant A, Thompson AA; CDC Thalassemia Investigators.
Transfusion. 2014 Apr;54(4):972-81; quiz 971. doi: 10.1111/trf.12348. Epub 2013 Jul 25.
Babesia: impact of cold storage on the survival and the viability of parasites in bloodbags.
Cursino-Santos JR, Alhassan A, Singh M, Lobo CA.
Transfusion. 2014 Mar;54(3):585-91. doi: 10.1111/trf.12357. Epub 2013 Jul 28.
Babesia: impact of cold storage on the survival and the viability of parasites in bloodbags.
Cursino-Santos JR, Alhassan A, Singh M, Lobo CA.
Transfusion. 2014 Mar;54(3):585-91. doi: 10.1111/trf.12357. Epub 2013 Jul 28.
Risk and prevention of transfusion-transmitted babesiosis and other tick-borne diseases.
Cable RG, Leiby DA.
Curr Opin Hematol. 2003 Nov;10(6):405-11. Review.
Transfusion transmitted infection: viral and exotic diseases.
Wylie BR.
Anaesth Intensive Care. 1993 Feb;21(1):24-30. Review.
Eiffert H, Lotter H, Thomssen R.
Scand J Infect Dis. 1991;23(1):79-87.
Blood product-associated bacterial sepsis.
Goldman M, Blajchman MA.
Transfus Med Rev. 1991 Jan;5(1):73-83. Review. No abstract available.
Survival of Borrelia burgdorferi in blood products.
Badon SJ, Fister RD, Cable RG.
Transfusion. 1989 Sep;29(7):581-3.
Spirochetes in Ixodes dammini and mammals from Connecticut.
Anderson JF, Magnarelli LA, Burgdorfer W, Barbour AG.
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1983 Jul;32(4):818-24.