Korean J Blood Transfus.  2009 Dec;20(3):258-262.

A Case of Transfusion Transmitted Hepatitis A Virus Infection Identified Through a Lookback Study

• Lee H
• Lee S
• Kim T
• Oh J
• Kwon J
• Shin YH

Abstract

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is mostly transmitted by the oral-fecal route. However, rare cases of transmission via blood transfusion still exist. A retrospective study was designed to trace a case of transfusion transmitted HAV (TTHAV) infection through the Post Donation Infection (PDI) system in Korea in 2006. We report here on a case of TTHAV that was identified through a lookback study. A 35-year old woman received 6 units of packed red cell transfusion when undergoing Caesarian section in a hospital. Ten days later, she developed a high fever and sore throat. Anorexia and abdominal pain developed in 45 days after transfusion. She was diagnosed with acute tonsillitis at the hospital, and she was not aware of her HAV infection at that time. Then, a donor informed the blood center of his HAV infection 10 days after donation to request his blood be discarded. The recipients of the blood were traced and epidemiological studies lead to the patient, which prompted her serum to be collected and tested. Finally, TTHAV was identified for this patient with positive anti-HAV IgG/IgM results. This is the first case of TTHAV to be identified through the HAV lookback study in Korea.

Keyword

Transfusion transmitted hepatitis A virus (TTHAV); Lookback; PDI (Post Donation Information)

MeSH Terms

Abdominal Pain
Anorexia
Blood Transfusion
Epidemiologic Studies
Female
Fever
Hepatitis
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A Antibodies
Hepatitis A virus
Humans
Korea
Palatine Tonsil
Pharyngitis
Retrospective Studies
Tissue Donors
Tonsillitis
Hepatitis A Antibodies