Tick‐borne diseases in transfusion medicine

Abstract

Ticks are effective vectors of viral, bacterial, rickettsial and parasitic diseases. Many of the tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are of significance to transfusion medicine, either because of the risks they pose to the blood supply or the necessity for blood products required in their treatment. The transmission of tick-borne pathogens via blood transfusion is of global concern. However, among transfusion medicine practitioners, experience with most of these microorganisms is limited. Transfusion transmission of TBDs has been documented largely by means of single case reports. A better understanding of the epidemiology, biology and management of this group of diseases is necessary in order to assess the risks they pose to the blood supply and to help guide effective prevention strategies to reduce this risk. Unique methods are required to focus on donor selection, predonation questioning, mass screening and inactivation or eradication procedures. The role of the transfusion medicine service in their treatment also needs to be better defined. This article reviews the growing body of literature pertaining to this emerging field of transfusion medicine and offers some recommendations for transfusionists in dealing with TBDs.

cute Q fever in Portugal. Epidemiological and clinical features of 32 hospitalized patients

“…1,5,7 Human infection occurs mostly by aerosols, through inhalation of spores coming from infected secretions. 5,6 Less frequently, there are cases of transmission by ingestion of unpasteurized milk or fresh cheese 8,9 and more rarely through blood transfusion, 1,10 vertical route 11,12 or by sexual transmission. 13 The main characteristic of acute Q fever is its clinical polymorphism, manifesting itself over a wide range of symptoms.…”

Ehrlichia chaffeensis Expresses Macrophage- and Tick Cell-Specific 28-Kilodalton Outer Membrane Proteins

“…Tick-borne infections are responsible for many emerging pathogenic bacterial diseases that significantly impact the health of humans and other vertebrates (13,40). These include spirochete infections, such as those caused by the Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi, and rickettsial infections by the human monocytic ehrlichiosis agent, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, the human granulocytic anaplasmosis agent, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and the bovine anaplasmosis agent, Anaplasma marginale (5,9,12,13,27).…”

Babesiosis-associated immune thrombocytopenia

“…Autoimmune phenomena have also been found to be contributory factors for thrombocytopenia in tick borne illnesses. Wong et al used flow cytometry to demonstrate presence of anti-platelet antibodies in patients with human granulomatous ehrlichiosis (8,9). However, in the review of the literature to date, we have not found a report of babesiosis causing new onset ITP in an otherwise healthy individual.…”