Dataset Information

Seroprevalence and Incidence of hepatitis E in blood donors in Upper Austria.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In recent years various studies showed, that hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a growing public health problem in many developed countries. Therefore, HEV infections might bear a transmission risk by blood transfusions. The clinical relevance still requires further investigations. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of acute HEV infections in Upper Austrian blood donors as well as a risk estimation of this transfusion-related infection.

Methods and findings

A total of 58,915 blood donors were tested for HEV RNA using a commercial HEV RT-PCR Kit. 7 of these donors (0.01%) were PCR-positive with normal laboratory parameters in absence of clinical signs of hepatitis. Viral load determined by quantitative real-time PCR showed a HEV nucleic acid concentration of 2,217 293,635 IU/ml. At follow-up testing (2-11 weeks after donation) all blood donors had negative HEV RNA results. Additionally, genotyping was performed by amplification and sequencing of the ORF1 or ORF2 region of the HEV genome. All HEV RNA positive donor samples revealed a genotype 3 isolate. For the antibody screening, anti-HEV IgM and IgG were detected by ELISA. Follow up serological testing revealed that no donor was seropositive for HEV IgM or IgG antibodies at time of donation. Moreover, we verified the prevalence of anti-HEV IgG in 1,203 of the HEV RNA negative tested blood donors. Overall 13.55% showed positive results for anti-HEV IgG.

Conclusions

In the presented study, we investigated HEV infections in blood donations of Upper Austria over 1 year. We concluded that 1 out of 8,416 blood donations is HEV RNA positive. Seroprevalence of anti HEV IgG results in an age-related increase of 13.55%. Therefore, based on this data, we recommend HEV-PCR screening to prevent transmission of hepatitis E virus by transfusion.

SUBMITTER: Fischer C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4353625 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Seroprevalence and Incidence of hepatitis E in blood donors in Upper Austria.

Fischer Carina C Hofmann Martina M Danzer Martin M Hofer Katja K Kaar Jennifer J Gabriel Christian C

PloS one 20150309 3

<h4>Background</h4>In recent years various studies showed, that hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a growing public health problem in many developed countries. Therefore, HEV infections might bear a transmission risk by blood transfusions. The clinical relevance still requires further investigations. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of acute HEV infections in Upper Austrian blood donors as well as a risk estimation of this transfusion-related infection.<h4>Methods and findings</h4>A tota ...[more]

PMID: 25751574

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundSARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence monitors cumulative infection rates irrespective of case testing protocols. We aimed to describe Nova Scotia blood donor seroprevalence in relation to public health policy and reported data over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic (May 2020 to August 2022).MethodsMonthly random Nova Scotia blood donation samples (24,258 in total) were tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection antibodies (anti-nucleocapsid) from May 2020 to August 2022, and vaccination antibodies (anti-spike) from January 2021 to August 2022. Multivariable logistic regression for infection antibodies and vaccination antibodies separately with month, age, sex, and racialization identified independent predictors. The provincial nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT)-positive case rate over the pandemic was calculated from publicly available data.ResultsAnti-N seroprevalence was 3.8% in January 2022, increasing to 50.8% in August 2022. The general population COVID-19 case rate was 3.5% in January 2022, increasing to 12.5% in August 2022. The percentage of NAAT-positive samples in public health laboratories increased from 1% in November 2021 to a peak of 30.7% in April 2022 with decreasing numbers of tests performed. Higher proportions of younger donors as well as Black, Indigenous, and racialized blood donors were more likely to have infection antibodies (p < 0.01). Vaccination antibodies increased to 100% over 2021, initially in older donors (60+ years), and followed by progressively younger age groups.ConclusionsSARS-CoV-2 infection rates were relatively low in Nova Scotia until the more contagious Omicron variant dominated, after which about half of Nova Scotia donors had been infected despite most adults being vaccinated (although severity was much lower in vaccinated individuals). Most COVID-19 cases were detected by NAAT until Omicron arrived. When NAAT testing priorities focused on high-risk individuals, infection rates were better reflected by seroprevalence.

Project description:IntroductionSeroprevalence of transfusion-transmitted viral infections (TTVIs) is a valuable indicator for assessing blood safety, population health and health system performance in the times of peace and conflicts. Only scarce information is available on the impact of the decade-long violent conflict on the prevalence of TTVIs in Syria. Moreover, hepatitis B vaccine was introduced to the national vaccination program in 1993; however, no data is available on the vaccine effectiveness.MethodsIn this retrospective cross-sectional study, we compiled the screening results for major TTVIs, namely hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV), of volunteer donors at Damascus University Blood Center from May 2004 to October 2021. Prevalence was expressed in percentages for the entire study group and subgroups. Chi-square test and linear regression were used to examine the differences and describe trends in prevalence, respectively, based on demographic characteristics (i.e., age and gender) and time. P-value of <0.005 was considered statistically significant.ResultsOf the total 307,774 donors (82.27% males, median age 27 years), 5,929 (1.93%) had serological evidence of at least one TTVI, and 26 (0.0085%) had multiple infections. The lowest prevalence (1.09%) was detected in donors aged 18-25 years old, and a higher prevalence (2.05%) was evident in males in comparison with females (1.38%). The seroprevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV was 1.18, 0.52, and 0.23%, respectively. Trend analyses revealed a significant regression in HBV and HIV prevalence from 2011 to 2021. HBV seropositivity depicted a temporal decline by ~80%, from 0.79% in 2011 to 0.16% in 2021 in those born in 1993 and thereafter.DiscussionThe seroprevalence of HBV, HIV, and to a lesser extent HCV dropped over the study 18-year period. Possible explanations may include implementation of the HBV vaccine, robust national health system, conservative sociocultural values, and isolation.

Dataset Information

Seroprevalence and Incidence of hepatitis E in blood donors in Upper Austria.

Background

Methods and findings

Conclusions

Publications

Seroprevalence and Incidence of hepatitis E in blood donors in Upper Austria.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets