Transfusion transmitted virus infection in patients on maintenance haemodialysis and in hospital workers

A newly discovered DNA virus, transfusion transmitted virus (TTV), was isol ated from a post-transfusional hepatitis patient in Japan. A high prevalenc e (32-46%) of TTV infections in patients receiving maintenance haemodialysi s (HD) has been reported but the occupational risk of TTV on HD units has n ot yet been determined. We determined the prevalence of TTV in workers in t he same HD unit and the risk factors for TTV infection in HD patients, sign ificantly higher than that in the HD unit (13 of 39, 33.3%; P=0.002) and no n-HD healthcare workers (20 of 75, 26.7%; P <0.001). A logistic regression analysis showed that male gender and negative test results for hepatitis G virus RNA were risk factors for TTV infection, but prior blood transfusion and duration of HD were not. Stepwise selection of multiple regression anal ysis showed that the presence of hepatitis C virus RNA was the only signifi cant predictor for high serum ALT activity, and that the presence of TTV DN A was not. These results indicate that TTV is one of the prevalent human vi ruses transmissible either parenterally or nonparenterally in HD patients, but the occupational risk of TTV infection in HD unit workers is as low as in other healthcare workers. The pathogenic effects of TTV on the liver app ear to be limited. (C) 2001 The Hospital Infection Society.