Is there evidence of recent hepatitis E virus infection in English and North Welsh blood donors?

• Published in: Vox sanguinis Vol. 100; no. 3; pp. 340 - 342
• Main Authors: Beale, M. A., Tettmar, K., Szypulska, R., Tedder, R. S., Ijaz, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-04-2011; S. Karger AG
• Subjects: Antibodies, Viral - blood; Blood & organ donations; Blood Donors; Complications; England; Hepatitis; Hepatitis E - diagnosis; Hepatitis E - transmission; Hepatitis E virus; Hepatitis E virus - isolation & purification; Historical account; Humans; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin M; Infection; Jaundice; Patient safety; RNA; RNA, Viral - blood; Transfusion; Transfusion Reaction; Viral infections; Wales; British Isles, England
• ISSN: 0042-9007; 1423-0410
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1423-0410.2010.01412.x

Background and Objective  The risk of hepatitis E virus (HEV) to blood safety remains unknown in England. Reports of persistent HEV infection with serious disease sequelae indicate that transfusion transmitted HEV is not a trivial disease in immunosuppressed patients.
Materials and Methods  Samples from unselected blood donors and donors with a history of jaundice were tested for HEV antibody and RNA.
Results Overall, 10% of the donor sera were anti‐HEV IgG reactive. Four of the donor samples were anti‐HEV IgM reactive but HEV RNA negative.
Conclusion  There is evidence of probable recent HEV infections in donors with a predicted attack rate of 2·8%.