Tick borne diseases in the context of blood safety

Ryszard Pogłód; Aleksandra Rosiek; Edward Siński; Magdalena Łętowska

Vol 4, No 1 (2011)

Editorial

Published online: 2011-04-20

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Tick borne diseases in the context of blood safety

Ryszard Pogłód, Aleksandra Rosiek, Edward Siński, Magdalena Łętowska

Journal of Transfusion Medicine 2011;4(1):4-22.

Vol 4, No 1 (2011)

EDITORIAL

Published online: 2011-04-20

Abstract

A significant increase in the Lyme disease (BL) incidence in our country and the possibility of BL and other tick borne diseases (TBDs) transmission with blood has raised concern about the safety of blood and its components. They cover both the qualification for blood donation after a tick bite and after any TBD. The risk of any TBD transmission with blood is varied. The rules regulating blood donations in Poland apply only to donors with some TBDs. Our paper presents the current state of knowledge mainly on BL and, to a lesser extent, on three other TBDs i.e. babesiosis, anaplasmosis as well as tick-borne encephalitis, not only in terms of transmission risk with blood but also in a broader context of diagnosis and clinical disease course. The importance of multispecies infections (coinfections) is also taken into account. There is the need to maintain a balance between excessively restrictive approach that eliminates blood donors and consideration of the real risk of disease transmission with blood.
J. Transf. Med. 2011; 1: 4–22