BackgroundChikungunya virus, an arbovirus that belongs to the Alphavirus genus of the Togaviridae family, causes a febrile illness accompanied by rash and arthralgia. It is estimated that during outbreaks, the prevalence of Chikungunya virus RNA in viremic blood donations varies between 0.4 and 2.1%; therefore, this virus may be transmitted by transfusion. In Brazil, Chikungunya virus has been claimed to cause extensive outbreaks, however, the seroprevalence of anti-Chikungunya virus IgG among Brazilian blood donors is unknown.MethodsEight hundred and ninety-seven blood samples were collected from volunteer blood donors in two distant localities long after the Chikungunya virus first appeared in Brazil. In 2015, 442 samples were collected from the Hemotherapy Service of Macapá, Amapá in the northern Brazilian Amazon. To evaluate the dissemination course of the virus in Brazil, in 2016, 455 blood samples were collected from the southeastern region (Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo). All samples were tested for the presence of anti-Chikungunya virus IgG and viral RNA.ResultsOne sample (0.2%) obtained from the Hemotherapy Center of Macapá tested positive for anti-Chikungunya virus IgG and no sample from the Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto was seroreactive to anti-Chikungunya virus IgG. All blood donations were Chikungunya virus RNA negative.ConclusionsThis study, performed during 2015–2016, indicates that the transfusion risk of Chikungunya virus in this period was low. However, due to the constant advance of this virus in Brazil, further studies during outbreaks are needed to evaluate the presence of Chikungunya virus RNA in blood donations and the respective transfusion-transmission risk.
SUMMARY Objective The objective of this study was to examine the Borrelia seroprevalence among blood donors in Southeast Brazil. Background There is evidence that Borrelia spirochetes are circulating in Brazil; however, there are no studies that characterise these bacteria and investigate their seroprevalence in the Brazilian population. Such a situation, combined with a recent outbreak of tick‐borne Rocky Mountain spotted fever in the São Paulo state demonstrates the increasing role of ticks as arthropod vectors in Brazil. Methods For the purpose of the study, 452 blood donors from Ribeirão Preto city, São Paulo state were tested using anti‐Borrelia immunoglobulin G (IgG) assay. The positive results were also confirmed by Western blot for anti‐borrelia IgM/IgG. Results The anti‐Borrelia IgG enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed nine positive and nine borderline reactive samples, giving a total seroprevalence of 2·0% of anti‐Borrelia IgG among Brazilian blood donors. The confirmation of the seropositive and borderline samples by Borrelia Western blot was demonstrated by IgG‐positive results in 16 samples (a seroprevalence of 3.5%). Anti‐Borrelia IgM antibodies were also detected in one sample. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that Borrelia‐like spirochetes may be circulating among blood donors from the São Paulo State and that the ticks have an important epidemiological role as vectors of bacterial infections in this Brazilian region. These results not only alert us to possible actions that might be undertaken in order to completely characterise the aetiological agents of Lyme‐like syndromes in Brazil but also the possible impact that these bacterial agents might have on haemotherapy practices.
RESUMO BIANQUINI, M. L. Determinação da viremia e da soroprevalência do vírus da Hepatite E (HEV) em doadores de sangue. 2018. 69p.
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