title: [Hepatitis B--significance for transfusion medicine].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the present risk for transfusion-associated hepatitis B in Germany or in countries with low hepatitis B incidence, respectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Selected relevant publications since 1978, own data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite donor selection and HBsAg screening hepatitis B infections after transfusion are reported to occur with a frequency of 0.2-1.8%. The most important source are probably donors who are viral carriers despite lacking HBsAg. This serological pattern is often found in individuals showing anti-HBc as only marker for a hepatitis B infection. About one third of these people are thought to be carriers of HBV. How many of these individuals belong to the blood donor population in Germany is at present unknown.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Studies evaluating the frequency of HBsAg-negative HBV carriers among blood donors are urgently required. Results of such investigations will show whether the introduction of additional tests, such as screening for anti-HBc, will further diminish the risk for posttransfusion hepatitis B.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene der Universität Regensburg.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jilg
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
vernacular_title: Hepatitis B-Bedeutung für die Transfusionsmedizin.