Toxoplasma and Blood Transfusion

n Iranian Journal of Parasitology Vol. 9, No. 1, Jan -Mar 2014, a paper entitled " Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Antibody Levels in Blood Supply of Shiraz Blood Transfusion Institute, Iran " by Shaddel et al. was published and prevalence of toxoplasmosis was reported as 23.6% in blood products. In this regard, following notes should be considered. Blood transfusion is an important lifesaving medical intervention throughout health care systems. Sufficient and safe blood supply is ongoing challenges for Blood Transfusion Organizations. In Iran, national blood supply has been established on 100% voluntary blood donation, blood donor selection, according to the standards of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization (IBTO), which are implemented based on donors and or recipients safety measures. Laboratory screening for known transfusion transmitted infections, including HBV, HCV, HIV, syphilis and HTLV1-2 (In certain geographic areas) are carried out entirely. By which, prevalence of above mentioned agents decline dramatically. However it is not possible to achieve zero risk of transfusion transmitted infections, neither in Iran nor in any other part of the world yet. Seroprevalence rates for Toxoplasma gondii in the general population vary worldwide and increased by age. Approximately 25% to 30% of the world populations are infected and more than 80% of primary infections are subclinical. The higher prevalence is observed in tropical areas (1). Seroprevalence rates in Iran estimated in range from 18% to 70% (2). Toxoplasma is an obligate intracellular parasite, which can infect human by different modes mostly by ingestion and inhalation of contaminated products. Occasionally T. gondii could be transmitted from person to person by modes of mother-to-child transmission, organ transplantation and or rarely by blood transfusion. In context of transmission by blood transfusion, although the risk is theoretically possible but there are rare reports in the literature (3), so that there is no recommendation to screen the blood products for T. gondii in WHO, American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), European Council and so on. I Iranian Society of Parasitology http:// isp.tums.ac.ir Iranian J Parasitol