BACKGROUND: Enteroviruses are non-enveloped, frequently pathogenic RNA viruses infecting @entity1 . Infection is potentially transmissible through blood or blood component transfusion from donor in the viremic phase before seroconversion for antibody. To investigate the threat to blood safety from enteroviruses, a large-scale survey of frequency and levels of @entity646 in blood donors was conducted. STUDY DESIGNS AND METHODS: Blood donations from Scotland over a period of 22 calendar months were screened for enterovirus RNA sequences by PCR. Positive samples were quantified, and serotypes were identified by @entity377 sequencing of VP1. RESULTS: From a total of 3658 pools of 95 donations tested, 73 samples that were enterovirus-positive were identified (corrected annual frequency 0.024% or 1 in 4000). The highest rates of @entity646 were in late summer months (e.g., 0.055%, 1 in 1800 in July) and lowest from January to May (0.009 and 0.012%). Viral loads ranged from 500 (the lower cutoff of the assay) to greater than 100,000 amplifiable enterovirus template copies per mL. Coxsackievirus @entity9489 , echoviruses 11 and 30, and enterovirus 71 were most often identified. CONCLUSIONS: The detection of @entity1503 indicates the potential for enteroviral transmission by blood components. Although the infrastructure established for PCR-based screening for @entity3531 RNA would allow parallel screening for enteroviruses, any decision concerning donor testing would require further information on the outcome of transfusion-acquired @entity9488 .

Frequency, viral loads, and serotype identification of XXXX in Scottish blood donors.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['humans'] @entity9488 :: ('MESH:D004769', 'Disease') :: ['enterovirus infections'] @entity646 :: ('MESH:D014766', 'Disease') :: ['viremia'] @entity3531 :: ('11096', 'Species') :: ['HCV'] @entity377 :: ('CHEBI:36976', 'Chemical') :: ['nucleotide'] @entity1503 :: ('MESH:D006402', 'Disease') :: ['enterovirus-positive blood units'] @entity9489 :: ('28910', 'Gene') :: ['A16']
@entity9488 :: (MESH:D004769,Disease) :: ['enterovirus infections']
