Table 1 Summary of recommendations from published studies advocating the reduction of transfusion-transmitted malaria in malaria endemic areas

Screening

Blood donation policies should incorporate malaria screening

Donors should be screened for malaria before donation

Blood for neonates should be screened for malaria

Deferral/retention

All blood infected with malaria should be rejected

Blood screened for malaria should be retained but marked negative or positive

Treating recipients or blood packs

Anti-malarials should be added to donated blood to eradicate parasite in vitro

Photochemical inactivation of parasites with amotosalen and long-wavelength ultraviolet light in platelet and plasma components

All neonates should be treated after every transfusion

All recipients of malaria-infected blood should be treated for malaria

Presumptive treatment for all recipients