Geographic risk factors for viral hepatitis and cytomegalovirus infection among United States Armed Forces blood donors.
In an effort to determine whether residence in a foreign country increases the risk of hepatitis B and C and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in United States (US) Armed Forces blood donors, 5719 volunteer donors at four US Navy blood banks were evaluated. Most participants were repeat donors (68%) and were young (mean age, 25 years), male (88%), and white (80%), black (10%), or Hispanic (7%). Birth outside of the United States was reported by 6 percent of subjects, and 34 percent had lived in a foreign country for more than 3 months. Twenty (0.3%) subjects had hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and 100 (1.7%) had antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). Thirty-four (0.6%) were repeatably reactive in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV); 11 (0.2%) had anti-HCV in immumoblot assay. Of the 3484 donors tested for anti-CMV, 1117 (32.1%) were positive. When demographic characteristics were controlled for both anti-HBc and anti-CMV seropositivies were independently associated in male blood donors with residence in the Philippines. Geographic factors were not associated with HBsAg and anti-HCV positivity. These findings indicate that the prevalence of serologic markers for viral hepatitis is low in military blood donors, but that residence in the Western Pacific is a risk factor for hepatitis B and CMV infection.
Hyams
K C
KC
Epidemiology Division, United States Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.
Cross
E R
ER
Bianco
M A
MA
Soyk-Sarty
D R
DR
Roper
C M
CM
Dahut
W L
WL
Holmberg
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People; D001782:Blood Donors; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American