Transfusion Transmitted Diseases

This chapter discusses the various diseases transmitted by blood transfusion. This transfusion transmitted diseases (TTD) can be caused by viruses, protozoa and prions. The mitigation of transfusion transmission of infectious agents is mentioned to be based on donor selection and donor testing. A table is presented that illustrates the potential transfusion transmitted agents. Hepatitis viruses are transmitted through transfusion and result in inflammation of the liver, jaundice, hepatomegaly and anorexia and both hepatitis B and hepatitis C typical hepatitis viruses transmitted through transfusion. Several other viruses transmitted through transfusion of infected blood include human immunodeficiency virus, human t-cell lymphotropic virus and herpesviruses. The protozoans transmitted due to transfusion include Plasmodium, Trypanosoma and Leishmania. Prion diseases results from the benign form of the prion protein changing to an insoluble protease-resistant form, which leads to the formation of plagues in the brain. Another transfusion transmitted disease called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) is described.