Detection of enterovirus viraemia in blood donors

Background and Objectives The infrastructure established for screening bloo d donations for hepatitis C virus has enabled large-scale population testin g for other viruses which are potentially transmissible by transfusion of b lood components and plasma-derived blood products. We have measured the fre quency of viraemia of enteroviruses and parechoviruses in 83 600 Scottish b lood donors to allow an initial assessment of their risk to blood safety. Materials and Methods Plasma samples collected from blood donors over 7 cal endar months were tested anonymously in mini-pools of 95 donations, by poly merase chain reaction (PCR) for human enterovirus and parechovirus sequence s. Results A total of 19 mini-pools, from the 880 that were tested, were PCR-p ositive for enterovirus RNA, predicting a donor prevalence of 0.023%. Enter ovirus sequences were not detected in factor VIII or IX clotting factor con centrates. None of the 230 mini-pools or concentrates contained detectable parechovirus RNA. Conclusions The prevalence of enterovirus viraemia detected in this study p redicts that at least 1000 enterovirus-contaminated blood components are tr ansfused per year in the UK. The frequency of transmission and clinical out come after exposure to enterovirus-contaminated blood components in recipie nts is unknown.