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. 2021 Dec;61(12):3286-3288.
doi: 10.1111/trf.16725. Epub 2021 Nov 10.

Powassan virus: What is the risk to the blood supply?

Evan M Bloch  1 , Aaron A R Tobian  1 , Louis M Katz  2
Affiliations

Powassan virus: What is the risk to the blood supply?

Evan M Bloch et al. Transfusion. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

Powassan virus (POWV) is an emerging tick-borne arbovirus that is found widely in Canada, the Northeastern and Northcentral United States, and the Russian Far East. While still rare, there has been an increase in reported cases of POWV disease over the last decade; most (>90%) cases have been neuroinvasive and the associated fatality rate is high (>10%). Transfusion-associated risk of POWV remains uncertain; while no intervention is likely indicated, one probable case of transfusion-transmitted POWV in the context of an increase in the incidence of POWV and other tick-borne infections, merits vigilance.

Keywords: Powassan virus; blood donors; blood transfusion; encephalitis viruses; tick-borne.

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References

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