title: Transfusion transmitted virus in screened United Arab Emirates blood donors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the rate of infection caused by Torque teno virus (TTV) in United Arab Emirates (UAEs) healthy population as a pilot study in detecting TTV DNA in 100 healthy blood donors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We randomly choose a total of 100 healthy blood donors who attended Zayed Military Hospital, Abu Dhabi, UAE from January 20 to May 30, 2005. We carried out a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to detect TTV DNA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Real-time for TTV was positive in 75 (75%) donors. Eight (73%) non-UAE donors were TTV positive while 67 (75%) were UAEs. Among these donors, 72 (77%) were males and 3 (50%) were females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrated a high prevalence of TTV in UAE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Zayed Military Hospital, PO Box 3740, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. uaenow@emirates.net.ae
authors.forename: Mubarak S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Alfaresi
authors.forename: Ayat M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Elnazer
authors.forename: Azza S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Alzaabi
authors.forename: Abida A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Elkoush
authors.forename: Adeel A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Islam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001782:Blood Donors; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012737:Sex Factors; D022783:Torque teno virus; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014479:United Arab Emirates