Abstract
BackgroundNucleic acid testing (NAT) for virus detection during blood screening has helped to prevent transfusion-transmitted infections worldwide. In northern Brazil, NAT was implemented in 2012 for HIV and HCV and more recently, in January 2015, the screening for HBV was included and currently used concomitant with serological tests (HBsAg and anti-HBc). This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and the incidence of HBV infection among voluntary blood donors at ten regional blood centers of HEMOPA Foundation in Pará state and to compare the residual risk of transfusion-transmitted HBV infection before and after the Brazilian HBV-NAT implementation.MethodsThe prevalence (restricted to first time donors- FT) and seroconversion rate (restricted to repeat donors- RP) of HBV were calculated based on rates of confirmed positive samples. Residual risk was based on the incidence and window period (WP) model described by Schreiber and coauthors. Logistic and Poisson regression were used in the statistical analysis by SPSS v20.0. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsHBV prevalence in the periods before and after the implementation of HBV-NAT were 247 and 251 per 100,000 donations, respectively. Seroconversion rates were 114 and 122 per 100,000 donations in the two periods, respectively. The residual risk (RR) for HBV decreased significantly in the posterior period to the HBV-NAT implementation, when compared to RR before implementation, with a reduction of 1:144,92 to 1:294,11 donations (p <0,001).ConclusionsThe RR to HBV decreased after the implementation of HBV-NAT, increasing significantly the transfusional security in the North region of Brazil at HEMOPA Foundation.
Highlights
Hepatitis B remains a major public health problem worldwide according to the World Health Organization approximately 240 million people have chronic hepatitis B and 470,000 deaths occur per year due to the consequences of hepatitis B such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma [1].Currently Brazil has approximately 207,000,000 inhabitants and the distribution of HBV is quite heterogeneous in the 8,516,000 km2 of country territorial extension
Residual risk was based on the incidence and window period (WP) model described by Schreiber and coauthors
HBV residual risk in northern Brazil compared to RR before implementation, with a reduction of 1:144,92 to 1:294,11 donations (p
Summary
Hepatitis B remains a major public health problem worldwide according to the World Health Organization approximately 240 million people have chronic hepatitis B and 470,000 deaths occur per year due to the consequences of hepatitis B such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma [1].Currently Brazil has approximately 207,000,000 inhabitants and the distribution of HBV is quite heterogeneous in the 8,516,000 km of country territorial extension. Nucleic acid testing (NAT) for virus detection during blood screening has helped to prevent transfusion-transmitted infections worldwide. In northern Brazil, NAT was implemented in 2012 for HIV and HCV and more recently, in January 2015, the screening for HBV was included and currently used concomitant with serological tests (HBsAg and anti-HBc). This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and the incidence of HBV infection among voluntary blood donors at ten regional blood centers of HEMOPA Foundation in Parastate and to compare the residual risk of transfusion-transmitted HBV infection before and after the Brazilian HBV-NAT implementation
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