The number of infected donors was probably lower in earlier years. However, look-back programs cannot identify all infected transfusion recipients because many infected donors may have refrained from donating or become too ill to continue to donate after HIV serologic testing of donors began. The risk of HIV transmission by transfusion was low, even before screening, and has been virtually eliminated by the routine screening of donated blood and plasma. However, since HIV-infected persons are at risk for developing AIDS or related conditions themselves and may transmit infection to others, physicians should consider offering HIV antibody testing to some patients who received transfusions between 1978 and late spring of 1985. This consideration should be based on the likelihood of infection in a recipient and the likelihood of transmission from that recipient.
Testing is particularly important if the patient is sexually active.
Seropositive persons should be evaluated for signs and symptoms of AIDS or related conditions and counseled regarding the avoidance of HIV transmission to others. Risk of human immunodeficiency virus infection from blood donors who later developed the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Perkins HA, Samson S, Rosenschein S, et al. This conversion may have resulted in character translation or format errors in the HTML version. Users should not rely on this HTML document, but are referred to the original MMWR paper copy for the official text, figures, and tables.