Investigation of Malaria in Blood Donors and Comparison of the Optimal Rapid Malaria Test to the Classical Method
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Original Investigation
P: 99-102
June 2008

Investigation of Malaria in Blood Donors and Comparison of the Optimal Rapid Malaria Test to the Classical Method

Turkiye Parazitol Derg 2008;32(2):99-102
1. Diyarbakır Government Hospital, Laboratory of Microbiology, Diyarbakır, Türkiye
2. Dicle University Medical Faculty, Department of Microbiology, Diyarbakır, Türkiye
No information available.
No information available
Received Date: 25.07.2007
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ABSTRACT

Malaria is still a problem in the southeastern region of Turkey despite all the effort to eradicate the disease. The spread of malaria is by the transfer of agents by mosquitoes, transfusions of blood and blood products, organ transplantations from infected individuals and the use of contaminated injectors. The numerical load of parasites in infected donors may be very low, therefore no clinical symptoms may be observed and Plasmodium species may live in the body of donors for years. As the agents may live long in the body of donors, the blood from donors must be examined thoroughly for agents. The aim of this study was to determine whether malaria which is endemic in our region is transmitted by transfusion products. The blood from 1850 donors, who presented at the Dicle University Faculty of Medicine Blood Bank (Diyarbakir) in 2006, was examined by the optimal rapid malaria test and by Giemsa stained preparations. No pathogens were detected by any of these methods. In conclusion, the screening tests for malaria may be useful but not sufficiently sensitive for blood banks. In endemic regions; a more specific questionnaire and physical examination can be used to exclude blood donors who are at the risk of malaria.