Transmission of Retroviruses by Blood Transfusion

Abstract

To the Editor: Widespread interest in both the safety of blood transfusion and the public perception of that safety prompts us to offer additional analysis and commentary on the report by Cohen et al. (May 4 issue).*Since this study identified only one case of HIV-1 infection transmitted by transfusion among 3400 eligible transfusion recipients, the authors' estimate of risk (0.003 percent) is as much a function of the small population tested as it is of the actual incidence of HIV-1 infection in the recipients. A more optimistic and equally valid interpretation is that in two of the three participating . . .