New Technologies for Infectious Screening of Organ Donors

Viral, bacterial, parasitic, prion, and fungal infections, although uncommon, have been transmitted via organ and tissue allografts. Improved screening techniques for infectious diseases in organ donors have helped to reduce disease transmission. Reports of clusters of donor-derived infections illustrate the need to improve the screening of tissue and organ donors. Available microbiologic assays, including molecular tests, are generally designed for use as diagnostic tools in individuals believed to have a specific infection based on clinical or epidemiological criteria. These assays are frequently unsuitable in the screening of deceased organ donors. Nucleic acid testing may reduce the risk of disease transmission by detecting early-stage infection, including those from human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus in the window period before antibody seroconversion can be documented. Screening of organ donors for potential pathogens cannot completely exclude the risk of disease transmission. The process of donor screening must continue to evolve with advances in diagnostic technologies for infectious diseases.