Following blood transfusion, there is a risk of transfusion-transmitted infectious diseases (TTID), despite current advanced screening technologies. Infectious agents involved are very diverse and include hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), human immunodeficiency (HIV-1/2), human T-cell lymphotropic (HTLV-I/II), Cytomegalo- (CMV), Parvo- B19, West Nile (WNV) and Dengue viruses. Trypanosomiasis, malaria, and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) also belong to TTID. TTID can be reduced by donor exclusion, screening for serological infection markers or nucleic acid testing (NAT) by viral gene amplification. Despite this, blood-borne infectious agents are transmitted through transfusion of infected blood donated by apparently healthy and asymptomatic blood donors.
Current Leadership
Brian Custer
Sheila O’Brien
Marion Vermeulen
ISBT Regional Director Africa (2024-2028)
Marion Vermeulen is the Executive: Transfusion Medicine and Technical Services at the South African National Blood service (SANBS). She has worked for most of her 35 years in Transfusion Transmissible Infections. Her current role consists of the development of the SANBS strategy with direct responsibility for the donation screening, processing, crossmatching, issuing, transportation and logistics of 1 million donations per annum. She obtained her PhD from Stellenbosch University in advancements of transfusion safety with regards to Transfusion Transmissible Infections (TTI). She is an active member of the international society for blood transfusion (ISBT) TTID working party and is the chairperson of the I TRY IT program that provides mentorship to young early career researchers through the ISBT.
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Michael Schmidt
