Transfusion transmitted virus in screened United Arab Emirates blood donors.
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.
Alfaresi
Mubarak S
MS
Department of Microbiology, Zayed Military Hospital, PO Box 3740, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. uaenow@emirates.net.ae
Elnazer
Ayat M
AM
Alzaabi
Azza S
AS
Elkoush
Abida A
AA
Islam
Adeel A
AA
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