Malaria antibody persistence correlates with duration of exposure

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Abstract
Background and Objectives  In Australia, the risk of transfusion‐transmitted malaria is managed through the identification of ‘at‐risk’ donors, antibody screening enzyme‐linked immunoassay (EIA) and, if reactive, exclusion from fresh blood component manufacture. Donor management depends on the duration of exposure in malarious regions (>6 months: ‘Resident’, Materials and Methods  Test results and demographic data from donors who were malaria EIA reactive were analysed. Time since possible exposure was estimated and antibody survival modelled.Results  Among seroreverters, the time since last possible exposure was significantly shorter in ‘Visitors’ than in ‘Residents’. The antibody survival modelling predicted 20% of previously EIA reactive ‘Visitors’, but only 2% of ‘Residents’ would become non‐reactive within 3 years of their first reactive EIA.Conclusion  Antibody persistence in donors correlates with exposure category, with semi‐immune ‘Residents’ maintaining detectable antibodies significantly longer than non‐immune ‘Visitors’.

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