Short report: Occurrence of Leishmania donovani DNA in donated blood from seroreactive Brazilian blood donors

Human visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) transmitted by blood transfusion h as been described in previous reports. Seroprevalence of antibodies to Leis hmania donovani was shown to be related to prior blood transfusions in mult iply transfused hemodialysis patients in Natal. Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil . In this study, a possible correlation between seroreactivity and the pres ence of L. donovani DNA was investigated in asymptomatic healthy blood dono rs. Sera were tested using the fucose mannose ligand (FML) ELISA, which was shown to have ii sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 96-100%. reliabilit y, and diagnostic and prognostic potential for the detection of human and c anine kala-azar. respectively. Leishmanial DNA was assessed by the polymera se chain reaction (PCR) and dot-blot hybridization techniques in blood and bone: marrow samples. Among 21 FML-seroreactive asymptomatic blood donors, 5 (24%) were positive by the PCR and 9 (4.3%) were positive in it dot-blot assay of blood samples. showing a significant correlation (chi(2) = 14.24, P < 0.01). No Leishmania DNA was detected in 20 FMF non-reactive blood dono rs. Our results point to the need for control of transmission of kala-azar by blood transfusion in nl ens endemic for this disease.