Blood donor screening for parvovirus B19 in Germany and Austria.
BACKGROUND
Although the main transmission pathway of parvovirus B19 (B19) is typically via the respiratory route, several transfusion-transmitted infections have been reported. To increase blood safety, all blood donations to our blood donor service have been screened by a B19 minipool real-time nucleic acid testing (NAT) since April 2000. Additional customers have been screened since the summer of 2003.


METHODS
In total, 2.8 million donations from Germany and Austria were screened for B19 by real-time minipool NAT. A subgroup of 50 B19 DNA-positive donors was screened for B19 immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibodies and B19 DNA over a 6-month period. Results were compared to those of 100 B19 DNA-negative donors.


RESULTS
Data accumulated over the past 6 years indicate a high incidence period from May 2004 to January 2006. In total, the incidence was 12.7 and 261.5 per 100,000 donations with high virus loads equal to or above 10(5) and below 10(5) IU per mL, respectively. Median virus concentration in the case group was 4.85 x 10(7) IU per mL at Time Point T0 and was reduced to 4 x 10(2) IU per mL at the time of the next donation (3 months later). Neutralizing antibodies (VP2) were detected in all donations if virus load was reduced to less than 10(5) IU per mL.


CONCLUSIONS
The release of B19 DNA-positive blood products with a concentration of less than 105 IU per mL is thought to be safe due to the high level of neutralizing VP2 antibodies and is currently examined in a donor recipient infectivity study. In contrast, blood products with a high B19 DNA concentration (> or =10(5) IU/mL), some of which did not contain neutralizing antibodies, were discarded to protect at risk individuals.
Schmidt
Michael
M
Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, German Red Cross, Institute Frankfurt, Sandhofstrasse 1, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. mschmidt@blutspende.de
Themann
Anna
A
Drexler
Camilla
C
Bayer
Michaela
M
Lanzer
Gerhard
G
Menichetti
Eva
E
Lechner
Sigrid
S
Wessin
Dietmar
D
Prokoph
Barbara
B
Allain
Jean-Pierre
JP
Seifried
Erhard
E
Hourfar
Michael Kai
MK
D000328:Adult; D001317:Austria; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016731:Erythema Infectiosum / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D008875:Middle Aged; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D004279:DNA, Viral