Selective Testing of At-Risk Blood Donors for Trypanosoma cruzi and Plasmodium spp. in Switzerland

Population migrations and overseas recreational travel to regions at risk for tropical diseases are increasing. A major challenge in non-endemic countries is to decrease the number of blood donor deferrals due those tropical disease pathogens, without compromising the high level of blood safety. The protozoans Trypanosoma cruzi and Plasmodium spp., the causative organisms of Chagas disease (CD) and malaria are becoming a major focus in the blood transfusion community. Methods: National guidelines of the Blood Transfusion Service of the Swiss Red Cross propose an algorithm for dealing with these pathogens, including a mandatory selective serological testing of donors at risk