A donor with a history of malaria should be deferred for how long after cessation of treatment?

• A. 1 year
• B. 2 years
• C. 3 years
• D. 4 years

Answer: (C)

Malaria parasites can persist in the body after treatment, and certain species form dormant liver stages that can relapse months or years later. In blood donors, these relapses or low-level parasitemia can still be transmitted to recipients, even if the donor feels well and standard tests are negative. To minimize this transfusion risk, donors who have had malaria are kept deferred for a substantial period after finishing treatment and recovering. The three-year deferral after cessation of treatment provides a safety window long enough for potential relapse to occur and be unlikely at donation time, while still allowing donation eligibility to be restored eventually. Shorter deferrals would not adequately cover relapse risk, and longer deferrals would unnecessarily limit donors.