Experts 
uncover 
virus risk in donor 
blood

Experts said that about 1,200 “blood components” containing the virus are likely to be transfused every year in England.

Hepatitis E, caused by the hepatitis E virus, is very rare in the UK and generally results in a mild and short-term infection unless the infected person has a pre-existing liver disease or is pregnant.

While the figure appears to be high, researchers said the overall burden caused by the infection among people needing blood transfusions is “slight”. The study, published today in The Lancet journal on World Hepatitis Day, concludes there appears to be “no pressing need” for blood donors to be screened.

Researchers retrospectively screened 225,000 blood donations collected in England between October 2012 and September 2013 for the hepatitis E virus (HEV). They found that 79 donors were infected, a prevalence of about one in every 2,848 donors.

The donations from those infected were used to prepare 129 blood components – red blood cells, platelets or fresh frozen plasma – and 62 were transfused. A follow-up showed transmission had occurred in 42 per cent of patients.

Lead investigator Professor Richard Tedder, from the Blood Borne Virus Unit at Public Health England, said: “HEV genotype 3 infections are widespread in the English population, including blood donors. We estimate between 80,000 and 100,000 human HEV infections are likely to have occurred in England during the year of our study.

“Although rarely causing any acute illness, hepatitis E infections may become persistent in immunosuppressed patients, putting them at risk of future chronic liver disease, and a policy is needed to identify these persistently infected patients and provide them with appropriate antiviral treatment.

“However, our study indicates the overall burden of harm resulting from transfusion-transmitted HEV is slight. Although on a clinical basis alone there appears no pressing need at this time for blood donations to be screened, a broader discussion over harm mitigation is now required.”