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DETECTION OF PLASMODIUM SPP. IN ASYMPTOMATIC BLOODDONORS BY THE NEW BRAZILIAN NAT PLUS HIV/HBV/HCV/MALARIA BIO-MANGUINHOS KIT
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Background: Transfusion-transmitted malaria (TTM) is a public health prob-lem in endemic and nonendemic areas. The Brazilian Ministry of Health(MH) requested the development of a nucleic acid amplification test (NAT) forthe detection of Plasmodium spp. in public blood centers to increase bloodsafety.Study Design and Methods: The new Brazilian NAT kit named NAT PLUSHIV/HBV/HCV/Malaria Bio-Manguinhos was first implemented inHEMORIO, a public blood center in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Since October1, 2022, this blood center has been testing all its blood donations for malaria ina pool of six plasma samples to detect Plasmodium spp. by real-time polymer-ase chain reaction (PCR).Results: Since the implementation of the NAT PLUS platform until February2023, HEMORIO has successfully received and tested 200,277 donations. Theplatform detected two asymptomatic donors in the city of Rio de Janeiro,which is a nonendemic region for malaria. Our analyses suggested a malariafrom the Amazon region caused by Plasmodium vivax, in the first case, whilean autochthonous transmission case by Plasmodium malariae was identifiedin the rural area of Rio de Janeiro state.Discussion: The NAT PLUS platform detects Plasmodium spp. in plasma sam-ples with sensitivity capable of detecting subpatent infections. This is the firsttime worldwide that a group developed and implemented molecular diagnosisfor Plasmodium spp. to be used by public blood centers to avoid TTM.
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