SEROMARKERS IN BLOOD DONATIONS - FROM THE STUDY ON THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF HIV AND HEPATITIS INFECTIONS IN BLOOD-DONORS

Objective: The risk of virus transmission by blood products will be es timated from current data. Design: The frequencies of the seromarkers of the infections HIV, HCV, and HBV in the donor population were colle cted. Setting and Participants: In the multicenter study, started in a utumn 1995, for the first time data from all blood-collecting establis hments during the year 1994 in Germany became available. Results: The risk of a transfused unit can be estimated from the data with 1:1 mill ion for HIV and 1:50,000 for HBV. Preliminary data using the anti-HCV RIBA-positives indicate a risk less than 1:20,000. Using data of seroc onversion in blood donors in rural areas the risk is estimated even lo wer, with less than 1:200,000. Conclusions: The safety of blood produc ts is very high due to the ongoing donor selection over the last years and the epidemiologic situation in Germany.