Transmission risk of Trypanosoma cruzi through blood donors in a third-level care hospital

Abstract

Blood transfusion is a major way of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission, a neglected parasite infection that produces Chagas disease (CD). CD has high morbidity and is potentially fatal in the chronic phase due to the parasite’s ability to invade the myocardium, colon, and esophagus. CD prevalence focuses on Latin America; however, its presence in non-endemic areas has been increasing in the last decade, particularly in North America and Europe, due to high migration rates of infected people. This study established the CD seroprevalence in a blood bank located in Mexico City. A total of 851 donor samples were analyzed by ELISAn and Western blotn (ELISA and WB using native antigens obtained from Mexican strains). Positive samples were analyzed by a commercial ELISA kit, named Chagatest (non-native antigens). Average donor age was 36.5 years, and most were men. Seroprevalence by ELISAn and WBn was 3.9% (33/851); whereas by Chagatest only six samples (0.7%) were reactive. Mexico City is not considered an endemic CD area; however, the high mobility of infected people increases the transmission risk in all receptor areas, particularly in blood banks, as seen in this study. Our findings showed a difference between native and non-native serological tests, and the need to maximize the identification of infected people to curb CD spread.