Transfusion and transplantation are important medical achievements that have enormously improved both the chance of survival and the quality of life for a large number of conditions. In this context, the transfused blood or transplanted organ must not serve as a vehicle for harmful pathogens that can cause (serious) infections in the recipient.
In this regard, the (repeated) screening of blood, plasma, and organ donors for the carrying of potentially transmissible pathogens is of crucial importance. The increasing emergence of unknown viruses that can be transmitted through transfusion or transplantation, as well as the more severe course of such infections in immunocompromised recipients, call for continuous monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment of donor selection and screening policies. Scientific substantiation is essential in this regard.
