High- and low-risk blood donors in Jerusalem: a survey of the hepatitis B antigen (HBsAg).
A survey of the hepatitis B antigen (HBsAg) in Jerusalem blood donors revealed an overall prevalence of 0.75%, with a significant difference between males (0.90%) and females (0.38%). Analysis according to ethnic groups indicated that immigrants from North Africa had the highest prevalence (3.18%) and immigrants and tourists from North America and Europe the lowest (0.35%). Analysis according to volunteer, paid professional or family replacement categories indicated that a fourfold increase in the HBsAg prevalence for family donors (0.38 to 1.77%) coincided with the discontinuation of payment to professional donors and intensification of recruitment efforts toward volunteers and replacement donors. Case investigation of the HBsAg-positive donors within the family replacement group revealed that 24% were, in fact, commercial donors covertly engaged by the families of patients to fulfill replacement obligations. The present study illustrates how a community blood program which includes nonvoluntary donations, such as family replacement donations, incurs the risk of inadvertently introducting commercial blood donors into donor population. The findings support the premise that a 100% volunteer blood program is the most reliable guarantee for maintaining a blood supply from healthy donorswith a minimal risk of infectivity from hepatitis.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000352:Africa, Northern / Q000208:ethnology; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001782:Blood Donors; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors
D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens