Pathogen reduction technology: methods, status of clinical trials, and future prospects.

Transfusion-transmitted infections caused by viruses, bacteria, and protozoa have been extensively reported for the past three decades. In the early 1980s, the HIV epidemic heightened the focus on transfusion safety and demonstrated the potential for new pathogens to enter the donor population and rapidly spread through the transfusion of blood components. The foundation for the prevention of transfusion-transmitted infections has been donor screening and testing, and significant advances have been made to reduce the risk of transfusion-associated infection. However, despite these efforts, transfusion-transmitted infections continue to be reported, and new infectious agents, such as the West Nile virus, continue to enter the donor population with transmission to recipients. For the past decade, several technologies to inactivate infectious pathogens that may contaminate donor blood have been developed and several of these methods have been introduced into clinical practice. These technologies offer the potential for a paradigm shift to further improve the safety of blood transfusion.