Asymptomatic Leishmania infantum infection in blood donors living in an endemic area, northeastern Italy - 15/01/20
Highlights |
• | Most leishmanial infections remain asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals. |
• | Leishmaniasis is endemic in the province of Bologna, northeastern Italy. |
• | We tested 240 blood donors in the Bologna province to detect asymptomatic Leishmania infection. |
• | Highly sensitive serological test, ie Western Blot, was employed in combination with a real time PCR assay. |
• | The prevalence of asymptomatic Leishmania infection in the Bologna province was 12.5%. |
Abstract |
Objectives |
Human leishmaniasis can be severe and fatal, yet in the Mediterranean region only a small percentage of infections progress to clinical disease. We evaluated the percentage of asymptomatic Leishmania infection in the Bologna province, northeastern Italy.
Methods |
We examined the presence of specific antibodies by Western Blot (WB) and parasitic DNA by real time PCR in peripheral blood of 240 blood donors residing in the Bologna province.
Results |
Anti-Leishmania IgG were detected by WB in 27 subjects (11.2%, 95% CI 7%-15%), while Leishmania kinetoplast DNA was detected in peripheral blood specimens of 4 out of 240 donors (1.7%, 95% CI 0.2%-3.2%). Overall, the prevalence of Leishmania infection in the blood donor cohort was 12.5%, thus indicating an elevated cumulative exposure to the Leishmania parasite in the examined municipality.
Conclusions |
Our results suggest that a surveillance system for monitoring Leishmania infection in blood donors and/or strategies of protozoan inactivation in whole blood should be taken into consideration in areas with circulation of the Leishmania parasite.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Keywords : Asymptomatic Leishmania infection, Blood donors, Western Blot, PCR
Plan
Vol 80 - N° 1
P. 116-120 - janvier 2020 Retour au numéro
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