Transfusion‐induced Malaria

Since 1958, 37 cases of transfusion‐induced malaria have been reported in the United States; 27 of them occurred in the past five years. This increase is related to the recent marked increase in imported cases from Vietnam; 13 of the 21 identified infective donors were servicemen who had recently returned from Vietnam. There has also been a significant increase in the percentage of cases that are due to the malignant species, Plasmodium falciparum. This increase in transfusion‐induced malaria warrants a re‐examination of the standards now in use to prevent the transmission of malaria from prospective blood donors.