Two years' experience of implementing molecular screening of hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus 1, 2 in Riyadh blood donors

Molecular screening technologies have improved blood safety by reducing the number of window-period transmissions relative to serological screening. In the two years following the introduction of molecular testing in King Khalid University Hospital, Saudi Arabia, 25,920 donor samples were screened in parallel by both serological and molecular techniques for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). No HCV or HIV NAT yields were detected. However, molecular screening enabled the interdiction of two confirmed HBV NAT yields. This is only the second report of confirmed HBV NAT yield in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and amongst the few reports in the wider Middle East and North Africa region.