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Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus ( HEV ) and detection of HEV RNA with a transcription‐mediated amplification assay in blood donors from C atalonia ( S pain)
Author(s) -
Sauleda Sílvia,
Ong Edgar,
Bes Marta,
Janssen Alanna,
Cory Robin,
Babizki Maria,
Shin Tim,
Lindquist Andre,
Hoang Anh,
Vang Lee,
Piron Maria,
Casamitjatàlia,
Koppelman Marco,
Danzig Lisa,
Linnen Jeffrey M.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1111/trf.12929
Subject(s) - hepatitis e virus , virology , serology , hepatitis e , seroprevalence , antibody , genotype , blood donations , medicine , biology , blood transfusion , immunology , gene , biochemistry
Background Hepatitis E virus ( HEV ) is an emerging threat to the safety of blood transfusion. The aim of this study was to determine HEV immunoglobulin ( Ig ) G and RNA prevalence in C atalan blood donors. Study Design and Methods Nearly 10,000 samples were collected from anonymized, unpaid donors at the B anc de S ang i T eixits ( B arcelona, S pain) from J une to D ecember 2013. For the serology study, a subset of 1082 donations was tested in parallel for HEV IgG using W antai and M ikrogen enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay tests. Samples were tested individually (individual‐donation nucleic acid test [ ID ‐ NAT ]) for HEV RNA using the P rocleix HEV assay (95% limit of detection 7.9 IU / mL ). Procleix repeat‐reactive donations were confirmed by an in‐house real‐time polymerase chain reaction ( PCR ) test. Results The prevalences of IgG anti‐ HEV in C atalan blood donors were 19.96% ( W antai assay) and 10.72% ( M ikrogen assay). Screening of 9998 samples with the P rocleix HEV assay yielded three real‐time PCR ‐confirmed and IgM and IgG anti‐ HEV –positive donations with viral loads of 250, 564, and 2755 IU / mL . The donation with highest viral load was genotype 3f. HEV RNA positivity rate was one per 3333 donations (0.03%; 95% confidence interval, 0.01%‐0.09%). Conclusion The P rocleix HEV ID ‐ NAT screening system has provided evidence of HEV RNA presence in C atalan blood donors. Further data are needed to assess the impact of HEV infection in at‐risk patients to design the best strategy to increase blood safety.