Pathogen Inactivation (Reduction): Status Report
Program Code: 5120-S
Saturday, October 20, 2007
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET)

MODERATOR
Morris A. Blajchman, MD, McMaster University

SPEAKERS
George Garratty, PhD, FRCPath, American Red Cross Blood Services
Richard Benjamin, MD, PhD, American Red Cross

DESCRIPTION
Significant progress has been made in reducing the risk of the transfusion-transmission of pathogens to recipients of blood products. Despite extensive screening of the blood supply, the transfusion-transmission of various microbial agents (viruses, bacteria and protozoa) is still associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Moreover, the sheer number of emerging pathogens that potentially threaten the safety of the blood supply renders it somewhat impractical to keep adding new specific tests. Additional ways to protect the blood supply from both existing and emerging threats must be found. One approach may be the effective use of the emerging as well as yet to be perfected pathogen inactivation (reduction) technologies. This session will review these issues and describe some approaches that hopefully will enable pathogen inactivation (reduction) technologies to be used to further reduce the risk of the transfusion transmission of the pathogens that continue to threaten the blood supply.