Viral hepatitis and blood transfusion

Abstract

Our findings show that hepatitis B-virus was transmitted by blood from two hepatitis B-surface-antigen (HBsAg)-negative but hepatitis B-coreantibody (anti-HBc)-positive donors. Blood donors and recipients were also tested for antibodies against the recently identified hepatitis C-virus (HCV). We found that two anti-HCV-positive donors with no known history of clinical hepatitis were chronic, infective carriers of HCV. The prevalence of anti-HCV in our blood donor population was 0.47% and ALT and anti-HBc testing was of no help for tracing the anti-HCV positives. We recommend that, in addition to HBsAg screening at each donation, donors are tested for anti-HBc and anti-HCV once. Individuals with a history of parenteral virus hepatitis should not be accepted as blood donors.