Residual risk of transfusion in Ghana.
Plasma samples from replacement and volunteer blood donors in Kumasi, Ghana were pooled and tested using a duplex human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA detection


METHODS
Individual plasmas constitutive of reactive pools were confirmed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. HIV and HCV infections were significantly higher in 1569 replacement donors than in 1169 volunteers; 2.4 and 1.7 versus 0.3 and 0.7% respectively (P < 0.01). Two duplex RNA-positive plasma pools contained a confirmed/seronegative HIV or HCV RNA individual plasma. The residual post-transfusion risk of HIV and HCV infection of blood collected from replacement blood donors ranged between 1:260 and 1:16 393 after screening for anti-HIV, p24 antigen and anti-HCV. These data indicate that in high-prevalence HIV and HCV blood donor populations, a substantial residual post-transfusion risk of infection remains. This risk might be reduced by collecting blood in younger volunteer donors or by genomic screening.
Candotti
D
D
East Anglia Blood Centre, National Blood Service, Cambridge, UK.
Sarkodie
F
F
Allain
J P
JP
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000235:genetics / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012306:Risk; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
D012367:RNA, Viral