[Risk of HIV-1 or 2 infection associated with transfusion in Benin].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the residual risk of transmission of HIV 1/2 infection through transfusion of seronegative blood.


METHODS
This study was carried out between January and July 2000. It was based on eight hundred and twenty-one (821) blood donors screened negative for HIV antibodies by ELISA using Vironostika Uni-form II plus 0 (Organon Teknika). 675 (82.2%) were men and 146 (17.8%) women all aged between 18 and 56 years with a mean age of 25.5 +/- 7.8 years. Serum aliquots of these seronegative blood donor were frozen and further tested with two tests: Enzymun-Test HIV Combi (Roche Immunodiagnostics) and Murex HIV Antigen Mab (Murex).


RESULTS
Twenty six out of 821 (3.2%) seronegative specimens were repeatedly reactive for Enzymun-test. All were tested negative once again for anti-HIV antibodies by ELISA using Vironostika Uni-form II/plus 0. Out of these 26, only one was repeatedly reactive for Murex. For further analysis of the 25 donors tested negative for Murex, only 9 came back for another donation five months later. All of them were tested negative for anti-HIV antibodies by ELISA (Vironostika).


CONCLUSIONS
Our study shows the existence of residual risk of transmission of HIV1/2 infection associated with transfusion of seronegative blood donors. This risk was higher in our countries compared with industrialised nations. Therefore implementing strategies should be a priority to avoid the residual risk and improve blood transfusion safety.
Zohoun
A
A
Laboratoire de microbiologie, CNHU, 04 BP 156, Cotonou, Bénin. comlanz@yahoo.fr
Lafia
E
E
Houinato
D
D
Anagonou
S
S
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001541:Benin / Q000453:epidemiology; D001782:Blood Donors; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk; D012494:Sampling Studies; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014766:Viremia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis
D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24