Research progress of occult hepatitis B virus infection in blood donors

VernacularTitle:献血者隐匿性乙肝病毒感染的研究进展
Author: Kewang SUN ¹ ; Xiangyan HUANG
Author Information

1. 潍坊医学院医学检验学院，潍坊　261041
Keywords: Occult hepatitis B virus infection in blood donors; prevalence; core antibody test; nucleic acid test
From: Chinese Journal of Experimental and Clinical Virology 2022;36(6):753-757
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract: Occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) is a special type of hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection in which the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) test is negative but the HBV nucleic acid test is positive. This article provides a review of the prevalence of OBI among blood donors, the likelihood of transmission, and recommendations of detection. The prevalence of OBI in blood donors varies between some countries in the world and representative regions in China. The analysis showed that the prevalence of OBI in blood donors is much higher in Africa than in the rest of the world, and the prevalence of OBI is higher among blood donors in the south of China than in the north. Blood donor with OBI has the possibility of transmitting HBV. Nucleic acid testing and hepatitis B core antibody detection are important in OBI screening for blood donors, and appropriate testing method should be selected according to the local HBV prevalence and economic situation, in order to minimise the impact of OBI on blood transfusion safety.