Investigation of frequency of active Borna disease virus infection in Scottish blood donors.
OBJECTIVE
Borna disease virus (BDV) can infect a wide range of vertebrate species causing neurological disease. In order to ensure the safety of blood supplies, it is essential to monitor blood for emerging pathogens.


METHODS
One-hundred individual white cell pellets and pools representing 25 000 plasma donations from human blood were screened for BDV by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).


RESULTS
BDV RNA was not detected in any of the samples.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that BDV is not widely spread in the UK human population and does not represent a risk as a transfusion-transmitted agent.
Davidson
F
F
Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, Transfusion Transmitted Infection Group, Edinburgh, UK. fiona.davidson@snbts.csa.scot.nhs.uk
Lycett
C
C
Petrik
J
J
Fazakerley
J K
JK
D001782:Blood Donors; D001890:Borna Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D001891:Borna disease virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012306:Risk; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014766:Viremia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology
D012367:RNA, Viral