Current viral risks of blood and blood products.
A number of viruses may be transmitted by blood transfusion, the most important of these are HIV, human T-cell lymphotrophic retrovirus (HTLV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). A series of overlapping safety measures are in place and are being improved and supplemented continuously. As a result, the risk of transmission of these viruses in the USA has been reduced to between one and four per million blood components transfused.
Dodd
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American Red Cross, Rockville, MD 20855, USA. dodd@usa.redcross.org
D001802:Blood Substitutes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections / Q000635:transmission; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000635:transmission; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014481:United States; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000635:transmission*
D001802:Blood Substitutes