The History and Challenges of Blood Donor Screening in China

Infectious disease trends in China since the SARS outbreak

“…Additionally, in China, screening of blood donors and surgical patients for HIV, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and syphilis have been successively required since the 1990s, which facilitated the active identification of new and past infections of these pathogens. 8,9 However, further studies are needed to assess actual incidence trends.…”

Estimation of hepatitis B–positive rates in Chinese blood donors by combining predonation and postdonation screening results

“…Findings of this study highlight the important role of predonation HBsAg RT in China. In addition to its rapid availability of test result, predonation HBsAg RT is a cost‐effective strategy to conserve blood center resources while significantly reducing HBV risk . In other resource‐limited HBV‐endemic regions such as West Africa, HBsAg RT may be a viable economical option.…”

“…The high HBV prevalence among eligible blood donors continuously poses threats to Chinese blood safety. The standard donor selection and donation screening (SC) process implemented in late 1990s has significantly reduced the transfusion‐transmitted HBV infection rate . Yet the HBV residual risks are still high in many regions, with nucleic acid testing (NAT) yield reportedly varying from one in 17,501 in Shenzhen, one in 1853 in Anhui, and one in 1056 in Zhejiang…”

“…The standard donor selection and donation screening (SC) process implemented in late 1990s has significantly reduced the transfusion-transmitted HBV infection rate. 3 Yet the HBV residual risks are still high in many regions, with nucleic acid testing (NAT) yield reportedly varying from one in 17,501 in Shenzhen, 4 one in 1853 in Anhui, 5 and one in 1056 in Zhejiang. 6 To prevent HBV-infected blood products from getting into the blood supply, in addition to the predonation health inquiry questionnaire (HIQ) to exclude donors with a history of hepatitis infections, Chinese blood centers use a predonation hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) rapid test (RT) as well as two rounds of postdonation blood SC using different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for HBsAg detection.…”

Blood Transfusion-Associated Infections in the Twenty-First Century: New Challenges

“…Since establishing the blood services, China had experienced several catastrophes with transfusion-transmitted diseases in the past, but since 1998 has undergone transformative changes in donor screening and donor testing. Donor selection is now voluntary donation with fixed groups and donated blood undergoes two rounds of testing with different equipment or reagents by different personnel [11]. Since 2010, nucleic acid test [NAT] was established in several blood centers and in 2015 the government invested for nationwide expansion of NAT.…”