Hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV transfusion-transmitted infections in the 21st century

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http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1423-0410.2010.01426.x/abstract;jse\

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Hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV transfusion-transmitted infections in the 21st

century

D. M. Dwyre, L. P. , P. V. HollandArticle first published online: 22 DEC

2010

DOI: 10.1111/j.1423-0410.2010.01426.x

© 2010 The Author(s). Vox Sanguinis © 2010 International Society of Blood

Transfusion

Issue

Vox Sanguinis

Volume 100, Issue 1, pages 92–98, January 2011

In the past, transfusion-transmitted virus (TTV) infections were not uncommon.

In recent years with advanced technologies and improved donor screening, the

risk of viral transfusion transmission has been markedly reduced. Hepatitis B

virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have

all shown marked reduction in transmission rates. However, the newer

technologies, including nucleic acid technology (NAT) testing, have affected the

residual rates differently for these virally transmitted diseases. Zero risk,

which has been the goal, has yet to be achieved. False negatives still persist,

and transmissions of these viruses still occur, although rarely. It is known

that HBV serological testing misses some infected units; likewise, HBV

NAT–negative units have also been known to transmit the virus. Similarly, HIV

minipool NAT–negative units have transmitted HIV, as recently as 2007; likely,

these transmissions would have been prevented with single-unit NAT testing.

Newer technologies, such as pathogen inactivation (PI), will (ideally) eliminate

these falsely test negative components, regardless of the original testing

method used for detecting the viruses.