JAPAN: CHAGAS' DISEASE

TRYPANOSOMIASIS (CHAGAS DISEASE) - JAPAN: BLOOD DONOR ***************************************************** A ProMED-mail post ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases Date: Thu 15 Aug 2013 Sources: Yomiuri Online, Sankei News and the Japanese Red Cross Society [in Japanese, trans., edited] , and The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare said on Thursday [15 Aug 2013] that Japan had confirmed its 1st blood donor case of Chagas disease. Tests showed from a man in his 40s from Latin America with positive results of antibody tents and confirmed by finding DNA from _Trypanosoma cruzi_ [by PCR (polymerase chain reaction), we presume]. He donated blood 10 times from 2006 to June 2013; his blood was administered to 10 people. The Ministry and the Japanese Red Cross Society are trying to locate the donor and recipients of the blood. Japan Red Cross handles all blood donations in Japan. [Since 15 Oct 2012] they have required voluntary declaration of living or travel to Latin American countries [in order to donate blood]. So the declaration was obtained in June 2013, but not for the previous 9 donations. -- communicated by: ProMED-mail rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka [It is well known that people infected with _Trypanosoma cruzi_, which causes Chagas disease, can transmit the infection though blood donation. The case illustrates how important it is to screen potential blood donors with a background in South America for infection with _T. cruzi_. The infection can be completely asymptomatic for decades even if patients have low-level parasitemia. - Mod.EP