title: Prevalence of selected viral infections among blood donors deferred for potential risk to blood safety.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health history questions identify blood donors believed to pose a higher risk of transmission of infectious diseases. This study assesses the current impact of some of these questions on blood safety as reflected by infectious disease markers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Donors who were deferred from donating blood due to health history question(s) were recruited at four different regions of the American Red Cross Blood Services. A blood sample was tested for serologic markers of blood-borne infections as performed for accepted blood donors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 497 deferred donors enrolled, 29 donors were deferred for having had "yellow jaundice, liver disease, or hepatitis since the age of 11" (Question 3), 1 of whom had hepatitis C virus antibodies (anti-HCV) and hepatitis B core antigen antibodies (anti-HBc), 2 had anti-HBc, and 1 had anti-HCV (p < 0.05 for both markers). Among 37 donors deferred for having "ever tested positive for hepatitis" (Question 4), 1 had hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-HBc and 3 had anti-HBc (p < 0.05 for both markers). Of 14 donors deferred for "having ever used a needle, even once, to take any illegal or nonprescription drug" (Question 12), 1 had anti-HCV, human T-lymphotropic virus-I antibodies and anti-HBc, 1 had anti-HCV and anti-HBc, and 2 had anti-HCV (p < 0.05 for all three markers).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blood donors deferred for standard blood donor questions regarding risk of viral hepatitis as well as those with a history of intravenous drug use were more likely to have higher hepatitis marker rates than those who were not deferred. No significant findings were identified for other markers or questions.
authors.affiliation: Jerome H. Holland Laboratory, American Red Cross Blood Services, Rockville, Maryland 20855, USA. zous@usa.redcross.org
authors.forename: Shimian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Washington
authors.forename: Edward Notari
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Iv
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Musavi
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Ritchard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cable
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rios
authors.forename: Krista L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hillyer
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Hillyer
authors.forename: Roger Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Dodd
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001771:Blood Banks; D001782:Blood Donors; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D046148:Donor Selection / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012011:Red Cross; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral