New Emerging Viruses and Transfusion Safety

Abstract

Blood transfusion is one of the most sensitive and delicate activities in a health system, due to the human nature of the products used. Viral safety remains a major concern. SARS-CoV2, Ebola virus, hepatitis E, Human T-lymphotrophic viruses type I and II (HTLV), Monkeypox (Mpox), Human herpesvirus (HHV-8), Erythrovirus and Arboviruses. In addition to being infections transmitted by vectors (mainly mosquitoes), they have the common denominator of being responsible for epidermal explosions when the conditions for entomological expansion are met. These infections have the particularity of being responsible for a viremia that is generally short-lived (less than a week on average), but which precedes the appearance of clinical signs by 1 to 2 days, a period during which a subject is infectious and can pass the filter of the pre-donation interview. The transfusion safety associated with SARS-CoV2, Ebola virus, Hepatitis E, HTLV, Mpox, HHV-8, Erythrovirus and Arboviruses were only recognized. The dawn of the 21st century for the oldest and much more recently for the others. This paradox is due to the fact that most of these viral infections have been known and described since the 1950s, mainly in tropical countries with a low socio-economic level where the transfusion risk has long been neglected. It was not until these infections became established in territories applying modern haemovigilance rules that transfusion safety was formally identified. In this work, we describe the different experiences of several countries that have experienced major obstacles when performing blood transfusions, due to epidemics of SARS-CoV2, Ebola virus, Hepatitis E, HTLV, Mpox, HHV-8, Erythrovirus and Arboviruses.