TRANSFUSION ASSOCIATED

VIRUS
BY
MUDASSIR WADA
FSC/MCB/12/0035

INTRODUCTION
Transfusion associated viruses are those viruses
that are associated with blood and other body
fluid (Wong, 2012). A Transfusion infection may
either be a virus, parasite, or other potential
pathogens that can be transmitted in donated
blood through a transfusion to a recipient such
viruses may include Hepatitis A, B, C, G, D, and E.
Cytomegalo virus, Ebola virus and diseases such
as leishmaniasis, Lyme, malaria, chagas may also
be found which are non-Viral transfusion
associated parasites etc.

HIGH RISK ACTIVITIES FOR BLOOD

DONATION

Commitment of laboratory technicians on

handling and preparing of blood samples.
Cross infection may occur while handling the
samples across the ward.
Nursing shortages and staffing issues.
Transfusion at night.

MODE OF TRANSMISSION
Blood and blood product e.g. Ebola virus, HIV,
Hepatitis etc.
Faecal oral route e.g. Hepatitis A and E,
Cosaxkie virus etc.
Arthropode vectors

VIRAL DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH

BLOOD TRANSFUSION
HEPATITIS This is cause by virus that passed through contact with
an infected person. The infection leads to the inflammation of liver.
The liver processes blood and filter toxins so they do not cause
damage to the body. Inflammation makes it difficult to deliver such
functions. Early symptoms includes yellowing of skin and fatigue
chronic infection can cause liver cirrhosis as the diseases progresses
symptoms such as blood disorder, and fever may appear.
ENCEPHALOPATHY When liver does not filter toxins from blood
they can damage the central nervous system and causes hepatitis
encephalopathy this can leads to a variety of symptoms including
sweet or musty breath, weakening of small motor skills and sleep
disturbance.

 VARICEAL BLEEDING A liver filter toxins out from the blood

stream, it also produces proteins needed for healthy blood and
helps to regulates blood clotting a poorly functioning liver can
creates blood flow problems and increase pressure in the vein that
leads to liver portal vein. This can leads to the portal hypertension
which may force blood to find an alternative vein.
ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNE SYSTEM The endocrine system
regulates hormones as part of the endocrine system the thyroid
gland delivers hormones in to the bloodstream in which sometimes
they can cause immune system to mistakenly attack or damage
thyroid
tissues
this
can
cause
over
reactive
thyroid
(hyperthyroidism) which can leads to sleep disorders or weight loss
and under reactive (hypothyroidism) can make you feel sluggish.
Cause by CMV and HCV (Schleiss, 2009).
ARBOVIRUS
Proteinuria,
febrile
illnesses,
jaundice,
and
hemorrhagic illness (internal bleeding) are cause by arbovirus
(Carson et al., 2009).

 HUMAN IMMUNODIFFIENCY VIRUS (HIV) This virus usually

enters host cell by binding binding the viral gp120 to the CD4
receptors and chemokine coreceptors on the host cell surface
during the first few months virus specific CD8 positive T cells are
formed and reduce the viremia which refer to as HIV load.
RABIES VIRUS This cause a disease cause mad dog diseases
the virus travels through the peripheral nerves and further to the
CNS its usually associated with anxiety, change in behavior , sore
throat, headache, fever, and discomfort especially at the site of
the bite the patient becomes anxieties and muscle spasms
EBOLA VIRUS This is a zoonotic pathogen and however it can
also be transmitted through blood or body fluid and the
symptoms of this virus appear at about 8-10 days average

LABORATORY SCREENING TEST

Anti body test

Nucleic Acid Test
Surrogate test

CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS

From the above literature, it can be concluded that, there is a high

number of blood borne diseases which results in very serious
illnesses. However, there was a very significant difference
between them. In developed countries particularly US and UK
there is mandatory screening test for HBsAg, and antibodies to
HCV, HIV 1 and 2, and Treponema pallidum (syphilis), most
developing countries and indeed most centers in Nigeria do not
screen donors for HCV virus (chukwurah et al.,2005). This review
essay was carried out in order to know the transfusion associated
viruses, and some other related blood borne diseases, and to
show the importance of screening them from blood samples
before transfusion.

References
Wong Approach for the prevention of the Transfusion
associated virus among blood donors in Taiwan, 2012.
Scheilss Hepatitis C. Molecular Biology, pathogenesis,
epidemiology, Clinical features, and prevention.
Autoimmune liver diseases and transfusion associated
virus, National England journal for medicine (NEJM),
and infectious diseases research center US, 2012.

Thank you for

listening