RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Use of nucleic acid testing for blood donor screening of Human Immunodeficiency virus and Hepatitis C virus in the Saudi population
JF Saudi Medical Journal
JO Saudi Med J
FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City
SP 1073
OP 1075
VO 22
IS 12
A1 Akhter, Javed
A1 Roberts, George T.
A1 Perry, Angela
A1 Gaucher, Julie S.
A1 Howman, Peter A.
YR 2001
UL http://smj.org.sa/content/22/12/1073.abstract
AB OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk of transfusion associated infection for human immunodeficiency virus and Hepatitis C virus using nucleic acid testing.METHODS: During March 1998, 400 donor blood samples from the Saudi population that were negative by serology were further tested for human immunodeficiency virus 1 and 2 and Hepatitis C virus using nucleic acid testing.RESULTS: A total of 400 were tested by nucleic acid testing, 381 of these were negative, 4 were indeterminate but were found to be negative on repeat testing and one seronegative sample was found to be positive for Hepatitis C virus.CONCLUSION: Due to the low prevalence of human immuno-deficiency virus in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, nucleic acid testing of blood donors by serology is adequate for screening. But the higher prevalence of Hepatitis C virus and increased risk of transmission would indicate that nucleic acid testing may be warranted for Hepatitis C virus in the near future.