title: Screening for transfusion transmissible infections using rapid diagnostic tests in Africa: a potential hazard to blood safety?
abstract: Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are routinely used in African blood centres. We analysed data from two cross-sectional studies representing 95 blood centres in 29 African countries. Standardized panels of sera containing varying concentrations of anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies (Ab), hepatitis B virus antigen (HBsAg) and antihepatitis C virus (HCV) Ab were screened using routine operational testing procedures at the centres. Sensitivity of detection using RDTs was high for HIV Ab-positive samples, but low for intermediately HBsAg (51·5%) and HCV Ab (40·6%)-positive samples. These findings suggest that current RDT use in Africa could pose a hazard to blood safety.
authors.affiliation: INSERM, U970, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, University Paris Descartes, Paris, France.|Institut National de la Transfusion Sanguine, Cellule épidémiologie, Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prugger
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Transfusion Sanguine, Département d'études des agents transmissibles par le sang, centre national de référence des hépatites B et C et du HIV en transfusion, Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laperche
authors.affiliation: UCSF Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.|Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: UCSF Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.|Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Bloch
authors.affiliation: Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kaidarova
authors.affiliation: INSERM, U970, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, University Paris Descartes, Paris, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tafflet
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Transfusion Sanguine, Département d'études des agents transmissibles par le sang, centre national de référence des hépatites B et C et du HIV en transfusion, Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: J-J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lefrère
authors.affiliation: INSERM, U970, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, University Paris Descartes, Paris, France.|Institut National de la Transfusion Sanguine, Cellule épidémiologie, Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jouven
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D058731:Blood Safety / Q000379:methods*; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods
keywords: Africa; HIV; blood transfusion; hepatitis B; hepatitis C; rapid diagnostic test