Seroreactivity of antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen among hepatitis B surface antigen-screened negative blood donors and its implications for blood safety in a resource-constrained country.
Rhoda T YuKenneth Aristotle P PunzalanSonu BhatnagarRaymond B LuteroIza Mae S ChamenCatherine B MasangkayElizabeth Y Arcellana-NuquiPublished in: Vox sanguinis (2024)
We observed a high anti-HBc reactive rate (19.16%) with 3.7% anti-HBc-only reactive (anti-HBs negative) and 1.3% HBV-DNA positive. This warrants the need to reconsider existing screening practices to improve blood safety in the country.