Total screening of blood donations for Australia (hepatitis associated) antigen and its antibody.
During a period of one year all of 105,724 blood donations were tested for Australia (Au) antigen and its antibody by rapid immunoelectro-osmophoresis-86 (1 in 1,229) were positive for antigen and 67 (1 in 1,578) positive for antibody. Second donations by previously negative donors reduce the overall incidence of positives. Men prisoners have a significantly higher incidence of Au antigen (1 in 153) than non-institutionalized men (1 in 803). The latter have a significantly higher incidence of antigen than women (1 in 2,019). Only one antigen-positive donor was incubating acute viral hepatitis. Failure to detect one strong and one weak antigen was responsible for two cases of posttransfusion Au-antigen-positive hepatitis.
D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001782:Blood Donors; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D005260:Female; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera; D007122:Immunoelectrophoresis; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008722:Methods; D009995:Osmosis
D000906:Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D007106:Immune Sera