ABC of transfusion. Infectious complications of blood transfusion: viruses.

Plasma borne viruses Cell associated viruses Effective antiviral agents are still not yet available * Hepatitis B and delta agent * Cytomnegalovirus to treat most viral infections, so the safety of * Hepatitis A (rarely) * Epstein-Barr virus (more than blood and blood components has to rely solely on * Non-A, non-B hepatitis (one 95% of adults are immune) "self exclusion" by potential donors who are at agent of which is hepatitis C) * HTLV-1 (causes human T cell risk of contracting viruses that are transmissible * ? Other hepatitis viruses leukaemia and tropical spastic * Serum parvovirus B19paraparesis) by transfusion (often transmitted sexually or by * Serum parvovirus B19 * HIV-1 and HIV-11 * HTLV-11 (clinical relevance not -drug misuse) and on laboratory screening for (also cellular) clear; may be more common evidence of microbial infection. So far than HTLV-1 in the West) inactivation methods are only available for certain products made from pooled plasma. This is a brief review of the range of viruses that are transmitted by transfusion and their properties.