REPORT OF EPFA NIBSC-WORKSHOP, NUCLEIC-ACID AMPLIFICATION TESTS (NAT)FOR THE DETECTION OF BLOOD-BORNE VIRUSES, HELD ON 31-OCTOBER-1996 IN AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS/

The 3rd annual European Plasma Fractionators Association/National Inst itut of Biological Standard and Control (EPFA/NIBSC) meeting provided a forum for regulators, blood product and test kit manufacturers and o rganisations developing standards to present and discuss their latest data. The main conclusions were as follows. There has been substantial progress during the last year in the development of NAT technology sp ecifically for improving the safety of blood products though there is an urgent need for the development of international reference material s. The technology is not yet sufficiently developed to be used as a ro utine screening test though tasting of plasma pools for hepatitis C vi rus may be achieved within a year. Introduction of testing should not result in the creation of dual standards for plasma derived and cellul ar products. Once the technology is fully developed it could significa ntly improve the safety of all blood products, particularly those deri ved from starting materials with a high incidence of viral markers.