Hepatitis B virus prevalence in first-time blood donors in Flanders, Belgium: Impact of universal vaccination and migration

Niels De Brier; Ozgur M. Koc; Emmy De Buck; An Muylaert; Frederik Nevens; Miek Vanbrabant; Judith Vandeloo; Hans Van Remoortel; Geert Robaeys; Veerle Compernolle

doi:10.1111/trf.16431

Hepatitis B virus prevalence in first-time blood donors in Flanders, Belgium: Impact of universal vaccination and migration

Niels De Brier^*, Ozgur M. Koc, Emmy De Buck, An Muylaert, Frederik Nevens, Miek Vanbrabant, Judith Vandeloo, Hans Van Remoortel, Geert Robaeys, Veerle Compernolle

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Background: Transfusion-transmissible infections such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) remain a major concern for the safety of blood transfusion. This cross- sectional study aimed to assess the trend of HBV prevalence and associated risk factors among a first-time donor population in a low endemic country.

Study Design and Methods: Between 2010 and 2018, blood samples were collected from first-time donors presented at donor collection sites of Belgian Red Cross-Flanders. They were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core antibodies (anti-HBc), and HBV DNA, HIV and hepatitis virus C (HCV) antibodies and RNA, and syphilis antibodies.

Results: A total of 211,331 first-time blood donors (43.7% males, median age 25 years) were analyzed. HBsAg prevalence decreased from 0.06% in 2010 to 0.05% in 2018 (p =.004) and this declining trend was accompanied by an increased number of donors in the HBV vaccinated birth cohort (p

Discussion: The decreasing trend in HBV prevalence could mainly be explained by the introduction of the universal HBV vaccination. Being born in endemic areas was the most important predictor for HBV infection while the co-infections with syphilis suggest unreported sexual risk contacts.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2125-2136
Number of pages	12
Journal	Transfusion
Volume	61
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/trf.16431
Publication status	Published - Jul 2021

Keywords

blood donation
hepatitis B
migration
sexual risk behavior
vaccination
INFECTION
TRANSMISSION
IMMUNIZATION
TRANSFUSION
NETHERLANDS
POPULATION
ANTIBODY
DISEASE
WOMEN
DUTCH

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10.1111/trf.16431

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@article{fbb0d688abf7420aba2c7bdfed9e2548,

title = "Hepatitis B virus prevalence in first-time blood donors in Flanders, Belgium: Impact of universal vaccination and migration",

abstract = "Background: Transfusion-transmissible infections such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) remain a major concern for the safety of blood transfusion. This cross- sectional study aimed to assess the trend of HBV prevalence and associated risk factors among a first-time donor population in a low endemic country.Study Design and Methods: Between 2010 and 2018, blood samples were collected from first-time donors presented at donor collection sites of Belgian Red Cross-Flanders. They were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core antibodies (anti-HBc), and HBV DNA, HIV and hepatitis virus C (HCV) antibodies and RNA, and syphilis antibodies.Results: A total of 211,331 first-time blood donors (43.7% males, median age 25 years) were analyzed. HBsAg prevalence decreased from 0.06% in 2010 to 0.05% in 2018 (p =.004) and this declining trend was accompanied by an increased number of donors in the HBV vaccinated birth cohort (pDiscussion: The decreasing trend in HBV prevalence could mainly be explained by the introduction of the universal HBV vaccination. Being born in endemic areas was the most important predictor for HBV infection while the co-infections with syphilis suggest unreported sexual risk contacts.",

keywords = "blood donation, hepatitis B, migration, sexual risk behavior, vaccination, INFECTION, TRANSMISSION, IMMUNIZATION, TRANSFUSION, NETHERLANDS, POPULATION, ANTIBODY, DISEASE, WOMEN, DUTCH",

author = "{De Brier}, Niels and Koc, {Ozgur M.} and {De Buck}, Emmy and An Muylaert and Frederik Nevens and Miek Vanbrabant and Judith Vandeloo and {Van Remoortel}, Hans and Geert Robaeys and Veerle Compernolle",

note = "Funding Information: Foundation for Scientific Research of the Belgian Red Cross Funding information Funding Information: We thank Hans Scheers (Centre for Evidence-Based Practice, Belgian Red Cross) and Cristina Cametti (Leuven Statistisch Centrum, LStat, KU Leuven) for their statistical support to perform the multivariate (trend) analyses. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest relevant to the manuscript. This work was made possible through funding from the Foundation for Scientific Research of the Belgian Red Cross (Mechelen, Belgium). Belgian Red Cross-Flanders is responsible for supplying adequate quantities of safe blood products to hospitals in Flanders and Brussels on a continuous basis and is being paid for this activity. NDB, EDB, AM, MV, JV, HVR, and VC are employees at Belgian Red Cross and received no other funding. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 AABB.",

year = "2021",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1111/trf.16431",

language = "English",

volume = "61",

pages = "2125--2136",

journal = "Transfusion",

issn = "0041-1132",

publisher = "John Wiley & Sons Inc.",

number = "7",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Hepatitis B virus prevalence in first-time blood donors in Flanders, Belgium

T2 - Impact of universal vaccination and migration

AU - De Brier, Niels

AU - Koc, Ozgur M.

AU - De Buck, Emmy

AU - Muylaert, An

AU - Nevens, Frederik

AU - Vanbrabant, Miek

AU - Vandeloo, Judith

AU - Van Remoortel, Hans

AU - Robaeys, Geert

AU - Compernolle, Veerle

N1 - Funding Information: Foundation for Scientific Research of the Belgian Red Cross Funding information Funding Information: We thank Hans Scheers (Centre for Evidence-Based Practice, Belgian Red Cross) and Cristina Cametti (Leuven Statistisch Centrum, LStat, KU Leuven) for their statistical support to perform the multivariate (trend) analyses. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest relevant to the manuscript. This work was made possible through funding from the Foundation for Scientific Research of the Belgian Red Cross (Mechelen, Belgium). Belgian Red Cross-Flanders is responsible for supplying adequate quantities of safe blood products to hospitals in Flanders and Brussels on a continuous basis and is being paid for this activity. NDB, EDB, AM, MV, JV, HVR, and VC are employees at Belgian Red Cross and received no other funding. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 AABB.

PY - 2021/7

Y1 - 2021/7

N2 - Background: Transfusion-transmissible infections such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) remain a major concern for the safety of blood transfusion. This cross- sectional study aimed to assess the trend of HBV prevalence and associated risk factors among a first-time donor population in a low endemic country.Study Design and Methods: Between 2010 and 2018, blood samples were collected from first-time donors presented at donor collection sites of Belgian Red Cross-Flanders. They were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core antibodies (anti-HBc), and HBV DNA, HIV and hepatitis virus C (HCV) antibodies and RNA, and syphilis antibodies.Results: A total of 211,331 first-time blood donors (43.7% males, median age 25 years) were analyzed. HBsAg prevalence decreased from 0.06% in 2010 to 0.05% in 2018 (p =.004) and this declining trend was accompanied by an increased number of donors in the HBV vaccinated birth cohort (pDiscussion: The decreasing trend in HBV prevalence could mainly be explained by the introduction of the universal HBV vaccination. Being born in endemic areas was the most important predictor for HBV infection while the co-infections with syphilis suggest unreported sexual risk contacts.

AB - Background: Transfusion-transmissible infections such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) remain a major concern for the safety of blood transfusion. This cross- sectional study aimed to assess the trend of HBV prevalence and associated risk factors among a first-time donor population in a low endemic country.Study Design and Methods: Between 2010 and 2018, blood samples were collected from first-time donors presented at donor collection sites of Belgian Red Cross-Flanders. They were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core antibodies (anti-HBc), and HBV DNA, HIV and hepatitis virus C (HCV) antibodies and RNA, and syphilis antibodies.Results: A total of 211,331 first-time blood donors (43.7% males, median age 25 years) were analyzed. HBsAg prevalence decreased from 0.06% in 2010 to 0.05% in 2018 (p =.004) and this declining trend was accompanied by an increased number of donors in the HBV vaccinated birth cohort (pDiscussion: The decreasing trend in HBV prevalence could mainly be explained by the introduction of the universal HBV vaccination. Being born in endemic areas was the most important predictor for HBV infection while the co-infections with syphilis suggest unreported sexual risk contacts.

KW - blood donation

KW - hepatitis B

KW - migration

KW - sexual risk behavior

KW - vaccination

KW - INFECTION

KW - TRANSMISSION

KW - IMMUNIZATION

KW - TRANSFUSION

KW - NETHERLANDS

KW - POPULATION

KW - ANTIBODY

KW - DISEASE

KW - WOMEN

KW - DUTCH

U2 - 10.1111/trf.16431

DO - 10.1111/trf.16431

M3 - Article

C2 - 33955570

SN - 0041-1132

VL - 61

SP - 2125

EP - 2136

JO - Transfusion

JF - Transfusion

IS - 7

ER -

Hepatitis B virus prevalence in first-time blood donors in Flanders, Belgium: Impact of universal vaccination and migration

Abstract

Keywords

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