Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Aug 13;111(4):804-813.
doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.24-0218. Print 2024 Oct 2.

Asymptomatic Leishmania Infection among Blood Donors in a Southern Province of Thailand

Phunlerd Piyaraj  1 , Lertwut Bualert  2 , Areerat Kalrat  3 , Saovanee Leelayoova  1 , Toon Ruang-Areerate  1 , Nisaichol Theprin  3 , Tawee Naaglor  1 , Mathirut Mungthin  1
Affiliations

Asymptomatic Leishmania Infection among Blood Donors in a Southern Province of Thailand

Phunlerd Piyaraj et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg. .

Abstract

Leishmaniasis poses significant public health challenges in endemic regions. Understanding the prevalence of asymptomatic Leishmania infection and identifying risk factors among blood donors is crucial. This study addressed a knowledge gap by evaluating the prevalence of asymptomatic Leishmania infection and pinpointing associated risk factors among blood donors in an endemic area in Thailand and aimed to enhance blood donation safety protocols and reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted Leishmania infection. A cross-sectional study and a longitudinal follow-up were conducted among 500 blood donors in Trang Province, southern Thailand. A serological test was performed using the direct agglutination test (DAT), and DNA detection was performed using nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) to screen for Leishmania infection. Potential risk factors associated with the infection were also assessed. The study identified a 19.0% prevalence of asymptomatic Leishmania infection among blood donors, with nPCR proving more effective in detecting infections (13.0%) than DAT (6.4%). Notably, Leishmania martiniquensis was the predominant species identified, highlighting the local epidemiological profile of Leishmania infection. Furthermore, using multivariate analysis, living in stilt houses was independently associated with Leishmania infection (adjusted odds ratio = 1.85; 95% CI = 1.04-3.28; P = 0.035). A high prevalence of asymptomatic Leishmania infection among blood donors underscores the need for integrating comprehensive Leishmania screening protocols into blood donation processes, particularly in endemic regions. It advocates for using molecular diagnostics to enhance detection accuracy. Furthermore, living in stilt houses as a risk factor emphasizes the importance of environmental management in leishmaniasis control efforts.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Authors’ contributions: P. Piyaraj: conceptualization, formal analysis, funding acquisition, methodology, project administration, writing—original draft preparation. L. Bualert: investigation. A. Kalrat: investigation. S. Leelayoova: conceptualization, funding acquisition, methodology, supervision, writing—review & editing. T. Ruang-Areerate: investigation, methodology. N. Theprin: investigation. T. Naaglor: investigation. M. Mungthin: conceptualization, funding acquisition, methodology, supervision, writing—review & editing.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Population flow chart showing participant recruitment and follow-up of Leishmania infection cases. DAT = direct agglutination test; nPCR = nested polymerase chain reaction.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Banuls AL, Hide M, Prugnolle F, 2007. Leishmania and the leishmaniases: A parasite genetic update and advances in taxonomy, epidemiology and pathogenicity in humans. Adv Parasitol 64: 1–109. - PubMed
    1. Grinnage-Pulley T, Scott B, Petersen CA, 2016. A mother’s gift: Congenital transmission of Trypanosoma and Leishmania species. PLoS Pathog 12: e1005302. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Desjeux P, Alvar J, 2003. Leishmania/HIV co-infections: Epidemiology in Europe. Ann Trop Med Parasitol 97 (Suppl 1): 3–15. - PubMed
    1. Palatnik-de-Sousa CB, Paraguai-de-Souza E, Gomes EM, Soares-Machado FC, Luz KG, Borojevic R, 1996. Transmission of visceral leishmaniasis by blood transfusion in hamsters. Braz J Med Biol Res 29: 1311–1315. - PubMed
    1. de Freitas E, Melo MN, da Costa-Val AP, Michalick MS, 2006. Transmission of Leishmania infantum via blood transfusion in dogs: Potential for infection and importance of clinical factors. Vet Parasitol 137: 159–167. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources