The increased demand for blood transfusion in animals causes the need to have an adequate number of donors. At the same time, a high level of blood safety must be guaranteed and different guidelines (GLs) deal with this topic.

Aim of the present study was to evaluate the appropriateness of different GLs in preventing transfusion-transmissible infections (TTI) in Italian feline blood donors.

Blood samples were collected from 31 cats enrolled as blood donors by owner's voluntary choice at an Italian blood bank during approximately 1 year. Possible risk factors for TTI were recorded. Based on Italian, European and American GLs, specific TTI, including haemoplasmas, feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia spp., Bartonella spp., Babesia spp., Theileria spp., Cytauxzoon spp., Leishmania donovani sensu lato and feline coronavirus (FCoV), were screened. Rapid antigen and serological and biomolecular investigations (PCR) were used. Several PCR protocols were compared to detect haemoplasma and FeLV DNA.

The presence of at least a recognized risk factor for TTI was reported in all cats. They resulted negative for FIV and FeLV, whereas 5 (16.1%) positive for FCoV antibodies using rapid tests. PCR were negative for all tested microorganisms, except 4 cats (12.9%) positive for haemoplasma DNA and one (3.2%) for FeLV provirus. However, this latter resulted positive only with the most sensitive PCR protocol applied, but not with the others.

Since the different GLs recommend different protocols and that they can differently classify a candidate donor as suitable or not, a harmonization of recommendations, especially on the main TTI to screen and on the choice of the best sensitive serological or molecular tests, with possible variations according to the local epidemiological situation, would be advisable to improve the general level of the veterinary blood safety. Moreover, considering the profile at high risk of TTI of blood donors and consequent costs and time of the procedures to guarantee blood safety, tools to select donors at low risk should be developed. Appropriate recruitment strategies, currently not considered in GLs, questionnaire-based risk profile, educational courses for owners and the possibility to establish a permanent group of safe blood donors could improve the identification of suitable donors, reducing the necessity to perform a wide screening.

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