Can Lyme Disease Be Transmitted Through Blood or Blood Transfusions?
Can Lyme disease spread through blood?
Human transmission has not been confirmed.
Researchers continue to study the theoretical risk.
Can Lyme disease be transmitted through blood? Researchers have investigated this question because Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, can circulate in the bloodstream during early infection. Although laboratory and animal studies suggest transmission is biologically plausible, there have been no confirmed cases of Lyme disease transmitted through blood transfusions in humans.
Unlike Babesia microti, which is a well-documented cause of transfusion-transmitted infection in humans, transfusion-associated Lyme disease has not been confirmed. This distinction explains why researchers continue to investigate whether Borrelia burgdorferi could ever pose a similar risk.
Can Borrelia burgdorferi circulate in the bloodstream?
Studies have found Borrelia burgdorferi in the blood of patients with early Lyme disease using culture techniques.
“Borrelia are likely to be found circulating in the blood sporadically or they may persist for a time period ranging from 2 to 5 weeks and in some cases beyond this time frame,” writes Pavia, citing a 2001 study by Wormser and colleagues. [2]
The presence of Lyme disease bacteria in the bloodstream raises an important question about blood safety, particularly because some infected individuals may have few or no symptoms. Learn more about the symptoms of Lyme disease and how infection may present early in the course of illness.
Can Lyme disease be transmitted through blood?
Individuals with active Lyme disease or symptoms suggestive of Lyme disease are unlikely to donate blood. However, some people may never notice a tick bite or erythema migrans (EM) rash and may remain asymptomatic, creating a theoretical concern about blood donation.
As Pavia explains, additional studies are needed to determine whether donated blood from an unrecognized Lyme disease infection could pose a risk.
Researchers have shown that B. burgdorferi can be transmitted between mice through experimental blood transfusions.
“B. burgdorferi can be transferred from spirochetemic donor mice to naive recipients during an experimental blood transfusion that closely mimicked typical human blood transfusion procedures,” according to a study by Gabitzsch. [3]
Investigators do not yet know whether B. burgdorferi remains viable after standard blood-bank storage conditions. Importantly, no confirmed cases of transfusion-transmitted Lyme disease have been reported in humans.
Can you donate blood if you have Lyme disease?
Individuals with active Lyme disease or symptoms suggestive of Lyme disease should not donate blood. Blood collection organizations establish donor eligibility requirements to reduce the risk of transmitting infectious diseases. Eligibility after recovery depends on the policies of the blood collection organization.
Can you donate plasma if you have Lyme disease?
Plasma donation generally follows similar eligibility guidelines as whole blood donation. Anyone with active Lyme disease symptoms or receiving treatment for an active infection should follow the recommendations provided by their blood or plasma collection center.
What about other tick-borne infections?
Researchers note that another Borrelia species, Borrelia recurrentis, has caused transfusion-associated relapsing fever, demonstrating that certain Borrelia species can be transmitted through blood under specific circumstances.
Another tick-borne pathogen, Borrelia miyamotoi, has also shown the potential for transfusion transmission.
“Borrelia miyamotoi was able to survive and infect mice after being kept under standard storage conditions with human blood or most of its component parts, suggesting that transmission by blood transfusion of this pathogen was possible,” explains Thorp. [4]
[bctt tweet=”The tick-borne disease Babesia can be transmitted through blood transfusions. But what about Lyme disease? Should we be concerned?” username=”DrDanielCameron”]
Additional studies are needed to determine the true risk and to reassess blood bank policies in regions where Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases are common.
“It is necessary to consider determining what the optimal criteria and policies should be, such as the appropriate use of approved diagnostic methods, for monitoring blood products for possible contamination with the Lyme disease spirochete, especially in geographic areas in which B. burgdorferi infection and other related tick-borne diseases are endemic,” Pavia writes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Lyme disease be transmitted through blood?
Researchers consider transmission through blood to be theoretically possible because Borrelia burgdorferi can circulate in the bloodstream during early infection. However, no confirmed cases of transfusion-transmitted Lyme disease have been reported in humans.
Can Lyme disease be transmitted through a blood transfusion?
Animal studies have demonstrated that transmission is possible under experimental conditions, but human transfusion-associated Lyme disease has not been documented.
Can people with Lyme disease donate blood?
Individuals with active Lyme disease should not donate blood. After recovery, eligibility depends on the policies of the blood collection organization.
Can you donate plasma if you have Lyme disease?
Plasma donors should follow the same eligibility guidance provided by their plasma collection center and should not donate while actively ill.
Is Lyme disease considered a bloodborne disease?
No. Lyme disease is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick. Although Borrelia burgdorferi may circulate in the bloodstream during early infection, Lyme disease is not considered a bloodborne disease in the same way as infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV.
Clinical Takeaway
Borrelia burgdorferi can circulate in the bloodstream during early Lyme disease, and animal studies demonstrate that transfusion transmission is biologically possible. However, there have been no confirmed cases of Lyme disease transmitted through blood transfusions in humans.
Current evidence suggests that transfusion-transmitted Lyme disease remains a theoretical concern rather than a documented human health risk, but additional research is needed to better define that risk.
Related Articles
Learn more about tick-borne infections that may affect blood safety.
Transfusion-transmitted babesiosis is increasing in the United States
Three newborns contracted Babesia through blood transfusions
Babesia: Symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
Borrelia miyamotoi infection
References
- Pavia CS, Plummer MM. Transfusion-Associated Lyme Disease—Although Unlikely, It Is Still a Concern Worth Considering. Front Microbiol. 2018;9:2070.
- Wormser GP, Bittker S, Cooper D, Nowakowski J, Nadelman RB, Pavia C. Yield of large-volume blood cultures in patients with early Lyme disease. J Infect Dis. 2001;184(8):1070-1072.
- Gabitzsch ES, Piesman J, Dolan MC, Sykes CM, Zeidner NS. Transfer of Borrelia burgdorferi s.s. infection via blood transfusion in a murine model. J Parasitol. 2006;92(4):869-870.
- Thorp AM, Tonnetti L. Distribution and survival of Borrelia miyamotoi in human blood components. Transfusion. 2016;56(3):705-711.
Dr. Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH
Lyme disease clinician with over 30 years of experience and past president of ILADS.
Symptoms • Testing • Coinfections • Recovery • Pediatric • Prevention
“It is unlikely that an individual will donate blood if they have had a tick bite, erythema migrans (EM) rash or were ill, the author writes” They MUST be kidding, right??? How many of us went years/decades being told that there was NOTHING wrong with us, so we did our best to live our lives as if that were true – including donating blood, being on organ transplant lists and more. I happen to know that I’m not the only one that donated blood, or had that I was an organ donor before it was confirmed I had these infections.
The authors of this paper have raised an important question as the the potential risk. They are not discussing specific cases. Their paper lays down the foundation for further study.
prof prem raj pushpakaran writes — 2018 marks the 200 years since the first human-to-human blood transfusion!!
I had over $130,000.00 of plasma in the hospital. After two weeks out of the hospital I got Alpha Gal. People can say what they want but I will always believe it came from the plasma.
would transfused blood containing borrellia burgdorf show in skin first day post op
I have not seen a skin rash for Lyme disease after a transfusion. I have seen individuals who a recent infection who did not show an infection until after a procedure.