BACKGROUND/AIMS:

Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) in blood donations is not considered infectious when anti-HBs is present.

METHODS:

Four months after transfusion of eight blood components during coronary arterial bypass surgery, a 59-year-old patient developed acute hepatitis B. A second 71-year-old patient transfused with a red cell concentrate (RCC) from one of these donations had early HBV infection 7 months post-transfusion. Samples were tested for HBV serological markers and HBV DNA was quantified and sequenced.

RESULTS:

One implicated donation contained anti-HBc, anti-HBs (12 IU/L) and 180 IU/ml of HBV DNA. Previous and subsequent samples contained 3-10 times lower viral load and slightly variable anti-HBs. Two previous donations did not cause HBV infection. Recipients of the FFP and RCC from the index donation were both HBV infected and carried genotype D strains with sequences identical to the donor strain.

CONCLUSIONS:

Despite anti-HBs, an OBI carrier transmitted HBV to two immunocompetent transfusion recipients.