Estimated risk for transfusion of monkeypox contaminated perioperative blood transfusion: A call to action for stronger regulations and testing protocols

Dear Editor, We are writing to address the potential risk of perioperative platelet transfusion on the spread of monkeypox, with a particular emphasis on the prevalence of donated blood transfusions and the inadequate blood safety infrastructure in Asia's poorest nations. The safety of blood transfusion procedures in the area is called into question in light of the recent instance in Thailand of a healthy blood donor who was discovered to have given blood tainted with the monkeypox virus. In a recent Asian article, a 22-year-old guy who gave blood at the National Blood Center in Bangkok was found to have the monkeypox virus upon subsequent testing (DOI: 10.3201/eid3003.231539). A platelet concentrate from the tainted donation was given to an 11-year-old female recipient who was also receiving treatment for dengue infection, even though the tainted donation was quickly identified and all blood components derived from the donor were subsequently recalled. In the problematic scenario, 1,606,743 blood donors nationwide gave blood in 2023 (https://www.thairath.co.th/scoop/infographic/2758077). One case of monkeypox-contaminated blood has already been used for transfusions (DOI: 10.3201/eid3003.231539). We can use the following calculation to determine the risk of transfusion of donated blood contaminated with monkeypox: Risk is calculated as follows: total donations / number of contaminated cases. We may enter these numbers into the algorithm because there was only 1 instance of monkeypox contamination out of 1,606,743 blood donations: 1 / 1,606,743 = 0.000000623 is the risk. As a result, there is a 0.0000623% chance that donated blood contaminated with monkeypox will be transfused. This event brings to light the possible dangers of using donated blood transfusions in underdeveloped nations, where blood safety regulations might not be as strong as they are in wealthy nations. Transfusion-transmitted diseases can emerge from inadequate screening procedures and scarce resources for checking given blood for infectious organisms like the monkeypox virus, which poses a serious risk to patient safety. The potential of viral infections spreading through tainted blood products must be taken into account in the setting of clinical surgery, when patients frequently need blood transfusions to control perioperative bleeding.[1] In environments where resources may be scarce, surgeons and other healthcare professionals need to exercise extra caution to guarantee the security of blood transfusions by strictly adhering to screening and testing regulations. To sum up, this instance highlights the necessity of having a strong blood safety system in place to guard against illnesses spread by transfusions in underdeveloped nations. To guarantee the safety of blood products used in clinical operations, healthcare authorities and legislators must place a high priority on investments in blood screening and testing technologies. We can protect patient health and lower the possibility of dangerous agents like the monkeypox virus spreading through blood transfusions by fortifying blood safety procedures.[2]