Prevalence of Occult Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Blood Donors with Negative ID-NAT in Switzerland

Conclusion: Overall, we detected 7 viremic OBI carriers among 11,432 blood donors, which tested negative for HBV by standard HBV-ID-NAT and HBsAg screening. In contrast, OBI carriers showed positive anti-HBc findings which could be confirmed in 83.8% of the cases. Thus, OBI might be missed by the current HBV screening process of Swiss blood donors. We suggest to review current HBV screening algorithm. Extended donor screening by anti-HBc testing may unmask OBI carriers and contribute to blood safety for the recipient of blood products.Transfus Med Hemother
Source: Transfusion Medicine and Hemotherapy - Category: Hematology Source Type: research