Impact of Cytomegalovirus Testing on Blood Collection Facilities

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Abstract
561 consecutive O‐negative blood donors were tested for the presence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies using an indirect fluorescent antibody test. 427 (76.1%) donors were CMV antibody positive, while 134 (23.9%) were seronegative. Males (75.1%) and females (78%) did not differ significantly in seropositivity. 17‐ to 20‐year‐old males had the lowest frequency of seropositivity (38.5%), though donors in this category represented only 4% of the 561 consecutive donors. The incidence of seropositivity increased consistently with age. Because of the difficulty in confidently generating sufficient CMV‐seronegative donors, it is suggested that the exclusive use of frozen‐thawed, or washed, leukocyte‐poor blood, be evaluated as an alternative.