ABSTRACT
Serological evidence o f previous cytom egalovirus (CM V) infection is present in a very significant n u m b er o f b lood donors. D epending on geographic location and d o n o r age, th is varies betw een 25-70% . Thus, the po tential for b lood p ro d ucts to tran sm it CM V infection is high. O nly subpopulations o f b lood donors w ho are serologically positive for CM V are capable o f transm itting CMV, how ever, perhaps as few as 5%. Regardless, this subpopu lation o f CM V seropositive donors canno t be accurately identified prospectively at this tim e. As discussed in C hapter 34, CM V belongs to the H erpes group o f viruses and the reservoir for this virus in asym ptom atic donors is circulatory T lym phocytess. The ability to tran s m it CM V by b lood transfusion , however, m ay be correlated w ith the presence o f the v irus in either d o n o r m onocytes o r granulocytes at the tim e o f donation . It follow s, th e re fo re , th a t le u k o re d u c tio n has th e p o te n tia l to e lim in a te th is com plication.
