| Yes | No |
| In the past 3 years, have you | | |
| 32. Been outside the United States or Canada? | | |
This question is asked to ascertain whether or not a donor is at-risk for malaria. Answering yes to this question can introduce a cascade of follow-up questions to determine whether or not travel or residence was to or in a malaria-endemic area or country.
A donor who is not a resident of a malaria-endemic country and travels (for a duration of more than 24 hours to less than 5 years) to or through a malaria-endemic area is deferred for 3 months from the departure date of the malaria-endemic area unless the collection will be a pathogen reduced platelet or plasma donation, in which case there is no deferral period. This guidance also applies to prior residents of malaria-endemic countries, provided that, after leaving their country of residence, they had a 3-year period in which they did not reside in or travel to any malaria-endemic areas.
A donor who is a resident (continuous stay of longer than 5 years) of a malaria-endemic country will be deferred for 3 years from the departure date of the malaria-endemic area, assuming they also display no symptoms consistent with malaria during that time. If they travel (>24 hours) to or through a malaria-endemic area after leaving their country of residence, the deferral period resets back to 3 years from their most recent departure from a malaria-endemic area. Prior residents of malaria-endemic countries are also subject to the 3-year deferral period if, after leaving their country of residence, they have not had a 3-year period in which they have not resided in or traveled to any malaria-endemic areas.
Residents and prior residents have longer deferral periods because they are more likely to have contracted malaria while living in a malaria-endemic country, and therefore are more likely to have an asymptomatic infection should they be exposed to malaria again.
Medication taken to prevent malaria infection does not change deferral periods.
Donors who have traveled outside the United States or Canada and visited only non-endemic countries are not subject to a deferral period. Plasma donors are not required to be free of malaria risk.
