Plasma donation provides raw material for life-saving therapies, including treatments for immune deficiencies, bleeding disorders, and severe burns. Ensuring the safety and purity of these plasma-derived products relies on a thorough donor screening process. This evaluation protects both the recipient and the donor.
Eligibility for Plasma Donation with Herpes
Individuals diagnosed with herpes simplex virus (HSV-1 or HSV-2) are eligible to donate plasma. A herpes infection, whether oral or genital, does not disqualify a person from donating. The primary consideration is the absence of an active herpes outbreak, especially if lesions are near the donation site.
If a donor has active cold sores or genital lesions, they are asked to wait until these symptoms have fully resolved. This deferral is a precautionary measure to prevent potential infection at the donation site. Once healed, the individual can proceed with plasma donation.
Why Herpes Does Not Disqualify Plasma Donors
The herpes simplex virus primarily establishes latency within nerve cells, not circulating consistently in the bloodstream at levels posing a transfusion risk. During an active outbreak, the virus replicates and causes localized lesions, but its presence in general circulation is transient and at very low concentrations. This viral behavior is a reason it does not disqualify plasma donors.
Plasma, the liquid component of blood, is largely acellular. Red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are mostly removed during plasmapheresis, which separates plasma from other blood components. This distinction is important because many transfusable viruses are primarily associated with cellular blood components.
Donated plasma undergoes extensive processing, including fractionation and viral inactivation and removal steps. These manufacturing processes effectively eliminate or significantly reduce enveloped viruses, such as HSV, even if present in minute quantities. These steps ensure the safety of final plasma-derived medicinal products.
The Donor Screening Process
All potential plasma donors undergo a screening process to ensure both donor and recipient safety. This begins with a medical history questionnaire, asking about recent infections, current medications, and chronic health conditions. Donors must disclose any active symptoms, including herpes outbreaks.
Following the questionnaire, a physical examination is conducted. This includes checking vital signs like temperature, blood pressure, and pulse, along with a visual inspection of the arms and skin for signs of infection, rashes, or open lesions. Active cold sores or genital lesions are noted during this examination.
Blood samples are collected from every donor and tested for infectious diseases, including HIV, hepatitis B and C viruses, and other pathogens. These tests are standard practice for all plasma donations, regardless of herpes status, providing safety assurance for the plasma supply.
Important Distinctions: Plasma vs. Whole Blood Donation
Eligibility criteria for plasma donation differ from whole blood donation. Whole blood donations include all blood components: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. An active herpes outbreak, such as a cold sore, can lead to a temporary deferral for whole blood donation.
This whole blood deferral is due to concerns about donor health and the risk of bacteremia (bacteria in the bloodstream) that may accompany an active viral lesion. It is a precautionary measure to protect the donor and prevent bacterial contaminant transmission, rather than a direct concern about HSV transmission via red blood cells.
Plasma donation, conversely, collects only the acellular liquid component of blood, which has a different risk profile. Processing plasma into therapeutic products further distinguishes its safety considerations from whole blood. Therefore, an active herpes lesion that might temporarily defer a whole blood donor may not prevent a plasma donation once healed.