AABB Publishes Updated Fact Sheets Highlighting Emerging Threats to Blood Safety

Bethesda, Md. – The Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB), a global leader in transfusion medicine and biotherapies safety, is pleased to announce the publication of an updated and comprehensive library of Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) Fact Sheets in a digital version of Transfusion, its peer-reviewed scientific journal. This landmark publication represents a significant advancement in ensuring the continued safety of the blood supply and strengthening preparedness against emerging infectious diseases that may impact the blood supply. The updated fact sheets are available online on the AABB website.

The expert members of AABB's Transfusion Transmitted Diseases (TTD) Committee released the first EID Fact Sheets in August 2009. This groundbreaking publication identified and meticulously described 68 infectious diseases, ranging from dengue and chikungunya viruses to Plasmodium and Babesia species, all with an emphasis on eliminating risks of transmission by blood transfusion.  

These original fact sheets have now undergone comprehensive updates to reflect the latest scientific knowledge and clinical practice. While the fact sheets do not establish standards or requirements, they serve as a guide for blood collection facilities and transfusion services to facilitate informed decision-making and policy development. 

Each fact sheet contains a detailed assessment of each disease’s clinical features, possible interventions for blood collection facilities, and the anticipated impact upon blood safety. The revised publication also includes two new fact sheets focused on recently emerging diseases that may affect transfusion safety.  

"The updated Emerging Infectious Disease Fact Sheets are a resource for the transfusion medicine community, clinicians and regulators. We have tried to describe, and we hope to mitigate, potential risks from emerging infectious diseases and inform policy development” said Lou Katz, MD, chair of AABB’s Emerging Infectious Diseases Working Group. “By leveraging the expertise of AABB's TTD Committee, we aim to provide our community with basic knowledge needed to protect the health of donors and patients."

The TTD Committee and EID Working Group remain vigilant to discovery of any pathogens that may emerge as threats to transfusion safety and will report new and updated information on the AABB website. 

For more information about AABB and blood safety, visit aabb.org. 

About AABB 

AABB (Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies) is an international, not-for-profit organization representing individuals and institutions involved in the fields of transfusion medicine and biotherapies. The Association works collaboratively to advance the field by developing and delivering standards, accreditation, and education programs. AABB is dedicated to its mission of improving lives by making transfusion medicine and biotherapies safe, available, and effective worldwide. For more information, visit www.aabb.org.