Safety of blood supply for infectious diseases in Latin American countries, 1994-1997.

Abstract

The potential risk of acquiring a transfusion-transmitted infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B (HBV) virus, hepatitis C (HCV) virus, or Trypanosoma cruzi was estimated for seven South American and five Central American countries during the period 1994-1997. The estimates were based on official national reports of the number of donors, blood screening coverage, and prevalence of serologic markers for infectious diseases. Coverage of screening in 1997 was 100% in 12 and 11 countries for HIV and HBV respectively. Complete screening for HCV was reported by only one country in 1994 and by six in 1997. For T. cruzi, the number of countries with 100% screening coverage increased from two in 1994 to four in 1997. In 1994, three countries showed risk of transfusion-transmitted infections for HIV, seven for HBV, eight for HCV, and seven for T. cruzi. The risk of receiving an infected blood unit and acquiring a transfusion-transmitted infection has been reduced with time in 10 of the 12 countries due to improvements in screening coverage. In Uruguay, the risk was theoretically nil from 1994-1997 because at the beginning of the study period they already had 100% blood donor screening for all infectious diseases transmitted by blood. In 1994, Colombia and Venezuela had the highest health risk associated with blood transfusion (spreading index of 101 and 62, respectively); during the period 1996-1997, Costa Rica presented the highest figures (spreading index of 53 and 83, respectively). The analysis of the potential risk associated with transfusion of tainted blood highlights the need for continuous monitoring of the safety of blood supply.

Risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection in the Colombian Caribbean coast: A case-control study

“…Probablemente, el bajo porcentaje de unidades de sangre cribadas para el virus de la hepatitis C antes de 1993 o 1994 (4,19), cuando se implementaron las recomendaciones de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS) para la transfusión segura, explica que la transfusión de hemoderivados antes de esta fecha fuera el factor de riesgo más probable en este estudio, hallazgo que muy posiblemente se repita en casi todos los países latinoamericanos (1,5 (20).…”

“…La prevalencia de la enfermedad en Colombia se desconoce, sin embargo, la información proveniente de los resultados de la tamización que se hace entre los donantes de los bancos de sangre permite especular que entre el 0,49 y el 1 % de la población colombiana tiene anticuerpos frente al HCV (2)(3)(4).…”

Hepatite C: prevalência e fatores de risco entre portadores do VIH/SIDA em Belém, Pará, na Amazônia brasileira

“…A triagem das infecções de transmissão sanguínea ainda não é a norma dos bancos de sangue em muitos países. Até o ano de 1997, entre 12 países da América Latina, apenas seis possuíam cobertura 100% eficaz no controle do VHC 35 . No Brasil, há um controle efetivo nos bancos de sangue do setor público, todavia, não se tem conhecimento de nenhuma publicação oficial com os dados nacionais sobre as doações de sangue no setor privado.…”

Calidad de vida en pacientes con hepatitis C crónica en Colombia

“…La prevalencia en Colombia se desconoce; sin embargo, la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS) ha reportado que entre el 0,7% y el 0,9% de los donantes presentan anticuerpos frente al VHC (2,3). La trasmisión nosocomial es la fuente más frecuente de infección y se ha identificado la transfusión sanguínea antes de 1994 como el principal factor de riesgo para contraer el virus en Colombia y otros países latinoamericanos (4,5).…”