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Residual risk of transfusion‐transmitted HCV and HIV infections by antibody‐screened blood in Italy
Author(s) -
Velati Claudio,
Romanò Luisa,
Baruffi Lorella,
Pappalettera Marco,
Carreri Vittorio,
Zanetti Alessandro R.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1046/j.1537-2995.2002.00173.x
Subject(s) - residual risk , window period , medicine , blood transfusion , antibody , virology , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , transmission (telecommunications) , hepatitis c virus , volunteer , immunology , virus , biology , serology , agronomy , electrical engineering , engineering
BACKGROUND : This study was designed to assess the risk of transmitting HCV and HIV by transfusion of antibody‐screened blood and to estimate the additional reduction in risk that may be achieved through the implementation of direct viral detection assays in Italy. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS : Clinical and laboratory data of 2,411,800 blood donations collected from repeat volunteer donors from 1996 through 2000 were analyzed. The risk of transmitting HCV or HIV from screened blood donated during the window period was estimated using a mathematical model. RESULTS : The residual risk of donating antibody‐ negative infectious blood was estimated at 1 in 127,000 donations for HCV and 1 in 435,000 for HIV. The use of NAT should further reduce such risk by 83 percent for HCV and 50 percent for HIV. CONCLUSION : The residual risk of HCV or HIV transmission through screened blood is currently very small in Italy. The implementation of direct viral detection assays can further improve the safety of blood supply.