Risk of hepatitis‐E virus infections among blood donors in a regional blood transfusion centre in western India

Abstract

Background Hepatitis‐E virus (HEV) is an emerging infectious threat to blood safety. The enormity of the transmission of HEV and its clinical consequence are issues currently under debate. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of HEV‐RNA in blood donors in western India. Materials and Methods We screened 13 050 blood donors for HEV using HEV‐RNA screening of 10 mini‐pools using RealStar HEV RT‐PCR Kit (95% limit of detection (LOD): 4.7 IU/ml). Furthermore, all HEV‐RNA‐positive donors were investigated for the presence of IgM/IgG antibody along with liver function tests. Results Of the 13 050 blood donations, 7 (0.53%) were found to be HEV‐RNA positive, and the prevalence of HEV nucleic acid testing yield cases among blood donors was 1 in 1864. All seven HEV‐RNA‐positive samples were tested with anti‐HEV IgM and anti‐HEV IgG antibodies; this resulted in two (28.5%) positive anti‐HEV IgM and two (28.5%) positive anti‐HEV IgG antibodies. Hepatic activity was measured, with two of seven HEV‐RNA‐positive donors demonstrating abnormal serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) andserum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT). Two HEV‐RNA‐positive blood donors who had abnormal SGOT and SGPT were found to have a high HEV viral load. Furthermore, we were able to follow up two HEV‐RNA donors, and both were HEV‐RNA positive and had anti‐HEV IgM and anti‐HEV IgG antibodies; moreover, their liver function tests were also abnormal. One of the HEV‐RNA donors with high viral load did show hepatitis‐E‐like virus on electron microscopy. Conclusion Our studies indicate that there is a significant risk of blood‐borne transmission of HEV. This finding may help to provide a direction towards the safety of blood transfusions in clinical settings in countries like India, which fall under the endemic category for HEV infection.

Molecular Epidemiology of Hepatitis E Virus Genotypes in Blood Donors in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

“…The prevalence of HEV viral RNA in this study was 0.51%, comparable to findings in India (0.53%)(34) but higher than rates reported in European countries, indicating geographical disparities in viral RNA prevalence among blood donors (35,36). The detection of Genotype 1 exclusively among HEV RNA-positive samples underscores the predominance of this strain in the region, mirroring findings from similar studies in Iran and India (34,38). This contrasts with the global distribution of HEV genotypes, where Genotypes 1 and 2 are commonly found in Asia and Africa through waterborne transmission, while Genotypes 3 and 4, associated with zoonotic transmission, are more prevalent in industrialized nations (39,40).…”

Higher Risk of HEV Transmission and Exposure among Blood Donors in Europe and Asia in Comparison to North America: A Meta-Analysis

“…The following supporting information can be downloaded at: , Table S1. Studies of HEV PCR positivity rates of blood donors worldwide [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 ]; Table S2. Studies of HEV seroprevalence of blood donors worldwide [ 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , …”

Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Voluntary Blood Donors in the Russian Federation

“…Surprisingly, the HEV RNA prevalence rates among donors in highly endemic countries were reported to be similar to those observed in Europe. For example, Mishra et al, using MP-10 screening in India and an assay with a limit of detection of 4.7 IU/mL, identified 7 viremic cases out 13,050 donors, which amounts to 0.053%, or a rate of 1:1864 [ 25 ]. Similarly, the HEV RNA positivity rate was reported to be 0.02%, or 1:5000, among blood donors in Hong Kong in a study employing ID testing [ 26 ].…”