Low incidence of acquired cytomegalovirus infection in neonates transfused with washed red blood cells.

To define the incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in infants given transfusions of washed blood cells from random donors, 100 infants who were identified as being CMV seronegative at birth were resampled at hospital discharge and again six weeks after hospitalization. All infants received washed red blood cell products; 37 infants received nonleukodepleted platelets and/or plasma. There were 7.4 donor exposures per infant. Donor units were assayed for anti-CMV IgG and IgM at the time of donation. Seventy-six infants received at least one transfusion from a seropositive donor (mean transfusion volume, 89 mL; mean, 3.7 seropositive donor exposures). Infection was defined by seroconversion to anti-CMV. None of the recipients of exclusively seronegative blood seroconverted. A single infant who received 34 mL of washed cells from a seropositive donor (IgG+, IgM-) and 31 mL of washed cells from a seronegative donor showed IgM anti-CMV 15 days after transfusion and IgG anti-CMV at a six-week follow-up visit. No recipients of IgM+ blood were infected. Our data demonstrate a 1.3% incidence of anti-CMV seroconversion following receipt of washed red cells from seropositive donors. This rate is within background levels for hospitalized neonates and is significantly lower than results of similar studies using unwashed blood.