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Completed hepatitis C lookback in Northern Ireland
1NIBTS, Belfast, UK.
Transfusion Medicine (Oxford, England)
|March 25, 1998
Summary
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening of blood donations identified 24 positive donors. A lookback program traced 117 components, finding 12 recipients showed no HCV exposure, demonstrating effective blood safety measures.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Public Health
- Immunology
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) poses a significant public health risk.
- Blood transfusion safety is paramount to prevent disease transmission.
- Early screening methods for HCV were less sensitive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of HCV screening in blood donors.
- To assess the impact of a lookback program for pre-screening transfusion recipients.
- To identify and manage individuals potentially exposed to HCV through blood products.
Main Methods:
- Screening of blood donations using enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), immunoblot (RIBA), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
- Implementing a Department of Health lookback exercise to trace potentially infected blood products.
- Investigating and following up with identified blood donors and recipients.
Main Results:
- 231,321 donations were screened, with 553 reactive results.
- 24 donors tested positive for HCV; 13 were repeat donors contributing 164 units.
- Of 22 recipients of potentially infectious units, 12 showed no evidence of HCV exposure.
Conclusions:
- HCV screening significantly improved blood safety.
- The lookback program identified at-risk individuals for follow-up.
- Further investigation is needed to understand transmission dynamics and recipient outcomes.