The study shows that more than 17 percent of healthy, young blood donors in Pakistan are already exposed to HBV, with two-thirds showing anti-HBs levels of greater than 100 mIU per mL. One in 200 blood donors who are HBsAg-, anti-HBc-positive, however, have occult HBV infection, with likelihood of transmission of hepatitis B in recipients of blood components derived from them. HBsAg-negative individuals who are anti-HBc-negative and those who are anti-HBc-positive, anti-HBs-positive, and HBV DNA-negative should be selected as regular blood donors to minimize transmission due to occult hepatitis B infection.

There is a need to establish donor registries typed for HPA in the transfusion centres of the country.

NAT has improved the safety of blood products at our transfusion institution. Confirmation of NAT results must always be done either on follow-up samples or on samples from the retrieved frozen plasma bag.