Abstract
Leptospirosis is underdiagnosed owing to its non-specific presentation, especially in the early stages of the infection. In the present research, sera from 2368 healthy blood donors of a local blood bank were screened for the presence of leptospiral antibodies using IgM-Pk-ELISA, followed by the microscopic and macroscopic agglutination tests. Serum samples showing two positive and/or borderline results in these assays were confirmed by immunoblotting. The IgM-antibody profile was defined according to the following criteria: sera reactive to a diffuse band of molecular weight 14.8-22 kDa were considered leptospirosis positive, sera exhibiting no reactivity to this band were considered negative. Our results showed a prevalence of 1.01% positivity. There is evidence that transmission of Leptospira interrogans by blood transfusion is possible, but, to date there has been no documentation of transfusion-transmitted leptospirosis. Thus, according to the currently available information, there is no need for new bloodbanking procedures to identify possible carriers of L. interrogans.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: Serodiagnosis and Immunotherapy in Infectious Disease
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.