Published: April 01, 2008 03:09 pm            

Blood Assurance to begin testing for Chagas Disease

Blood Assurance, the exclusive blood supplier for 47 healthcare facilities, announced today that it will begin testing all donated blood for Chagas disease effective April 1.

Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to animals and people by insect vectors that are found only in the Americas, mainly in rural areas of Latin America where poverty is widespread. However, the impact of Chagas is not limited to Latin America due to large-scale population movements.

Although Chagas disease is not widespread in the United States, Blood Assurance is committed to continuously evaluating new tests and technologies to increase the safety of our blood products.

The testing procedure will include the use of a new machine purchased by Blood Assurance called the Ortho Summit System. The machine conducts a three-stage enzyme test that detects the presence of antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi. Testing will take approximately 4-5 hours each day.

“The test for Chagas disease will increase the safety of the blood supply and will allow us to encourage those donors who test positive to seek potentially life-saving medical care,” said Dr. Elizabeth Culler, medical director at Blood Assurance.

To learn more about Chagas’ disease, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov.



Blood Assurance, headquartered in Chattanooga, has been supplying blood components to area hospitals for 35 years. For more information, contact Blood Assurance at 423-756-0966 or 800-962-0628, or go online to www.bloodassurance.org.

        

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