ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Serological screening in blood banks does not include all transmittable diseases. American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) has a high detection rate in the municipalities of the State of Paraná.
METHODS:
This study analyzed the presence of anti- Leishmania braziliensisantibodies in 176 blood donors who live in these endemic areas. The variables were analyzed with the χ2 test and Stata 9.1 software. RESULTS: Twenty (11.4%) samples were positive for the presence of anti- L. braziliensisantibodies. CONCLUSIONS: The high percentage of donors with anti- Leishmania spp. antibodies indicates the need to study the risk of ACL transmission through blood donors.
Keywords:
Leishmaniasis; Blood donors; Asymptomatic infections
