Post-transfusion hepatitis type B following multiple transfusions of HBsAg-negative blood

Hepatitis B virus reactivation with clinical flare in allogeneic stem cell transplants with chronic graft-versus-host disease

“…Although reinoculation of HBV from blood products cannot be excluded, this is unlikely as our blood bank uses the American Association of Blood Banks' guidelines to ensure blood products safety from blood-borne pathogens (Auszyme; Abbot). Also, while the incubation period for hepatitis B is between 35 and 167 days, 33,34 the median time to clinical flare up from the last blood product transfusion in our series was 18 months (range 4.5-19 months). Finally, 5/6 stem cell donors had not been exposed to HBV (HBcAb negative) before transplant and could not have transmitted the infection.…”

Prevalence of HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Syphilis in donor’s blood: A study from eastern part of India

“…Increased prevalence of HBV among the donors underscores the concern about growing infection of this disease in the community. In India transfusion associated HBV is estimated to be approximately 50% or more in multiple transfused patients and approximately 1.5% in post surgical recipients [15]. Thus the absence of HBsAg in the blood of apparently healthy individuals may not be sufficient to ensure lack of circulating HBV.…”

Transfusion–Associated Hepatitis in a Tertiary Referral Hospital in India

“…Transfusion of blood from such donors could be a cause of TAH–B. Using sensitive techniques such as PCR, about 9% of healthy Indians have been reported to be HBV–DNA–positive [4, 5]. In Taiwan, about 4% of HBsAg–negative voluntary donors are HBV–DNA–positive [27].…”

“…Anti–HBc positivity ranges from 17 to 29% [3, 4]. Irrespective of the anti–HBc status, about 9% of the healthy adults in India who are HBsAg–negative by EIA are HBV–DNA–positive [5, 6]. In such persons, the HBsAg negativity could be due to the low sensitivity of the assay system used, low level of antigenemia, or the existence of surface mutant strains in the population.…”