ABSTRACT
Fewinfectiousagentshavehadasprofoundanimpactonthepracticeoftransfusionmedicine ashumanretroviruses.Whenitwasrealizedintheearly1980sthathumanimmunodeficiency virus-1(HIV),thecausativeagentforacquiredimmunedeficiencysyndrome(AIDS),could betransmittedbytransfusionofbothcellsandplasmaproducts,transfusionscientistswere forcedtorethinkmanyissues.Theseissuesincludedquestioningdonorsaboutlifestyleand sexualpractices,implementationofnewtestingprocedures,legalliabilities,andethical responsibilities.Afewyearslater,itwasfoundthathumanTlymphotropicvirus(HTLV),a retrovirusassociatedwithmalignancyandaneurologicaldisorder,couldalsobetransmittedby tranfusion.AlthoughlessonslearnedfromHIVwereappliedtoHTLVinrelationtotransfusion medicine,thisdiscoveryneverthelessaddedtothecomplexitiesofsupplyingqualitytransfusion products.
