Malaria

AABB’s Regulatory Affairs staff and Transfusion-Transmitted Diseases (TTD) Committee work closely with the FDA and CDC to monitor emerging malaria risks and to provide information and current recommendations from CDC. The TTD Committee as well as the Donor History Task Force include representatives from FDA and CDC.

What actions should be taken to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted malaria?

• Follow the current FDA Guidance Recommendations to Reduce the Risk of Transfusion-Transmitted Malaria

  FDA’s December 2022 Guidance, defines exposure timeframes for residence in, or travel to, a malaria-endemic country or malaria endemic area. “The recommendations in this guidance for screening blood donors for malaria risk and for implementing pathogen reduction of indicated blood components are based on the current epidemiological data on malaria and the risk of transfusion-transmitted malaria, and on the availability of FDA-approved pathogen reduction devices.”

• Monitor the most current CDC links (on a regular basis) for updates:
  • Malaria Information and Prophylaxis, by Country
  • Yellow Book Homepage-Chapter 3 Yellow Fever & Malaria Information, by Country
  • Updates to the Online Yellow Book
  • Current Travel Health Notices
• Refer to the Flowcharts found on the Blood Donor History Questionnaire webpage. These flowcharts are designed to guide you through donor eligibility decisions, including timeframes of exposure in malaria-endemic countries and areas. All information on the Blood DHQ webpage is consistent with FDA recommendations, to assist with donor eligibility decisions.

How will I know when there is a new malaria risk?

• AABB alerts members of new malaria outbreaks through the AABB Weekly Report and/or “AABB News Flash.”
• This webpage will be updated with new information as it becomes available.

Where can I find additional information?

Review AABB’s Emerging Infectious Disease Fact Sheet, Plasmodium Species

Note: The donor deferral recommendations in this 2009 Fact Sheet are outdated. Refer to the DHQ webpage and DHQ v4.0 for current recommendations. This Fact Sheet is under revision.

Latest Events

This list is updated periodically. Refer to the CDC links listed above for current recommendations.

06/27/23
Malaria Cases Reported in Florida and Texas
CDC recently issued a Health Alert Network Health Advisory in response to several confirmed cases of locally acquired malaria in Florida and Texas.

04/19/23
CDC Expands Malaria Chemoprophylaxis Recommendation in Costa Rica
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded its malaria chemoprophylaxis recommendation for travelers to Costa Rica in response to an outbreak of Plasmodium falciparum malaria.