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. 2016 Feb;110(2):196-8.
doi: 10.1111/vox.12327. Epub 2015 Dec 8.

Screening for transfusion transmissible infections using rapid diagnostic tests in Africa: a potential hazard to blood safety?

C Prugger  1   2 , S Laperche  3 , E L Murphy  4   5 , E M Bloch  4   5 , Z Kaidarova  5 , M Tafflet  1 , J-J Lefrère  3 , X Jouven  1   2
Affiliations

Screening for transfusion transmissible infections using rapid diagnostic tests in Africa: a potential hazard to blood safety?

C Prugger et al. Vox Sang. 2016 Feb.

Abstract

Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are routinely used in African blood centres. We analysed data from two cross-sectional studies representing 95 blood centres in 29 African countries. Standardized panels of sera containing varying concentrations of anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies (Ab), hepatitis B virus antigen (HBsAg) and antihepatitis C virus (HCV) Ab were screened using routine operational testing procedures at the centres. Sensitivity of detection using RDTs was high for HIV Ab-positive samples, but low for intermediately HBsAg (51·5%) and HCV Ab (40·6%)-positive samples. These findings suggest that current RDT use in Africa could pose a hazard to blood safety.

Keywords: Africa; HIV; blood transfusion; hepatitis B; hepatitis C; rapid diagnostic test.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interests The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Sensitivity (%) of rapid diagnostic tests performed in laboratories in Francophone and Anglophone countries across Africa, by viral marker. +++/>100 ng/ml: strong; ++/10 ng/ml: intermediately positive; Ab: antibodies; HBsAg: hepatitis B surface antigen; HCV: hepatitis C virus; HIV: human immunodeficiency virus; Labs: laboratories; RDTs: rapid diagnostic tests. Error bars show standard errors.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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