Margherita Ortalli1, Alessandra Mistral De Pascali1, Serena Longo1, Nadia Pascarelli2, Andrea Porcellini2, Deborah Ruggeri2, Vanda Randi2, Anna Procopio3, Maria Carla Re4, Stefania Varani5. 1. Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, 40100, Italy. 2. Centro Regionale Sangue Emilia-Romagna, Maggiore Hospital, Bologna 40100, Italy. 3. Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna, Brescia 25100, Italy. 4. Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, 40100, Italy; Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna 40100, Italy. 5. Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, 40100, Italy; Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna 40100, Italy. Electronic address: stefania.varani@unibo.it.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Human leishmaniasis can be severe and fatal, yet in the Mediterranean region only a small percentage of infections progress to clinical disease. We evaluated the percentage of asymptomatic Leishmania infection in the Bologna province, northeastern Italy. METHODS: We examined the presence of specific antibodies by Western Blot (WB) and parasitic DNA by real time PCR in peripheral blood of 240 blood donors residing in the Bologna province. RESULTS: Anti-Leishmania IgG were detected by WB in 27 subjects (11.2%, 95% CI 7%-15%), while Leishmania kinetoplast DNA was detected in peripheral blood specimens of 4 out of 240 donors (1.7%, 95% CI 0.2%-3.2%). Overall, the prevalence of Leishmania infection in the blood donor cohort was 12.5%, thus indicating an elevated cumulative exposure to the Leishmania parasite in the examined municipality. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that a surveillance system for monitoring Leishmania infection in blood donors and/or strategies of protozoan inactivation in whole blood should be taken into consideration in areas with circulation of the Leishmania parasite.
OBJECTIVES:Humanleishmaniasis can be severe and fatal, yet in the Mediterranean region only a small percentage of infections progress to clinical disease. We evaluated the percentage of asymptomatic Leishmania infection in the Bologna province, northeastern Italy. METHODS: We examined the presence of specific antibodies by Western Blot (WB) and parasitic DNA by real time PCR in peripheral blood of 240 blood donors residing in the Bologna province. RESULTS: Anti-Leishmania IgG were detected by WB in 27 subjects (11.2%, 95% CI 7%-15%), while Leishmania kinetoplast DNA was detected in peripheral blood specimens of 4 out of 240 donors (1.7%, 95% CI 0.2%-3.2%). Overall, the prevalence of Leishmania infection in the blood donor cohort was 12.5%, thus indicating an elevated cumulative exposure to the Leishmania parasite in the examined municipality. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that a surveillance system for monitoring Leishmania infection in blood donors and/or strategies of protozoan inactivation in whole blood should be taken into consideration in areas with circulation of the Leishmania parasite.
Authors: Ana Victoria Ibarra-Meneses; Audrey Corbeil; Victoria Wagner; Chukwuemeka Onwuchekwa; Christopher Fernandez-Prada Journal: Parasit Vectors Date: 2022-01-05 Impact factor: 3.876