Lookback was initiated upon notification of an acute HBV infection in a repeat Irish donor, 108 days post-donation. The donation screened non-reactive by individual-donation nucleic acid testing (ID-NAT) using the Procleix Ultrio Elite multiplex assay and again when the archived sample was retested, but the discriminatory assay for HBV was reactive. The immunocompromised recipient of the implicated red cell component was tested 110 days post-transfusion, revealing a HBV DNA viral load of 470 IU/ml. Genotype C2 sequences identical across two regions of the HBV genome were found in samples from the donor and recipient.
Keywords: NAT testing; blood donation testing; blood safety; transfusion - transmissible infections; transfusion medicine (in general).
© 2018 The Authors Vox Sanguinis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Blood Transfusion.