# Bridging the critical gap between infectious disease blood donation screening and connection to healthcare services: the American Chagas disease example

## TL;DR

This paper explores the challenges faced by blood donors who test positive for Chagas disease and suggests ways to improve their access to healthcare services.

## Contribution

The study provides insights into donor experiences and opportunities for public health institutions to support rare infection cases.

## Key findings

- Donors face barriers in accessing infectious disease care after deferral.
- Public health institutions can play a role in supporting rare infection cases.
- Limited information is provided to donors after a positive T. cruzi screening.

## Abstract

Chagas disease (Trypanosoma cruzi infection) affects ~ 290,000 USA residents and is included in routine blood donation screening panels. Donors are notified of positive T. cruzi-screening results, deferred from donation, and given limited information for next steps. Individuals living with undiagnosed, uncommon infections often face substantial barriers in accessing physicians with infectious disease competency, confirmatory testing, and continuum of care after the point of blood donor deferral. We assessed 46 T. cruzi-deferred donors’ experience following deferral, highlight donor challenges, and provide public health institution opportunities to support cases of rare transfusion-transmitted infections in the USA.