Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38793625›Full record

ArticleViruses2024

Prevalence of Acute Hepatitis E Virus Infections in Swiss Blood Donors 2018-2020.

Christoph Niederhauser, Peter Gowland, Nadja Widmer, Soraya Amar El Dusouqui, Maja Mattle-Greminger, Jochen Gottschalk, Beat M Frey

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Viruses, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Performance of Elecsys Anti-HEV IgG and IgM Assays for the Detection of Acute, Recent or Past Hepatitis E Virus Infection.Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Christoph NiederhauserInterregional Blood Transfusion SRC, 3008 Berne, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-3142-7616
Peter GowlandInterregional Blood Transfusion SRC, 3008 Berne, Switzerland.
Nadja WidmerInterregional Blood Transfusion SRC, 3008 Berne, Switzerland.
Soraya Amar El DusouquiNational Blood Transfusion Service of the Swiss Red Cross, 3008 Berne, Switzerland.
Maja Mattle-GremingerRegional Blood Transfusion SRC, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland.
Jochen GottschalkRegional Blood Transfusion SRC, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland.
Beat M FreyRegional Blood Transfusion SRC, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-2514-8621

Funding

Humanitarian Foundation of the Swiss Red Cross 244
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionHepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype 3 is the major cause of acute viral hepatitis in several European countries. It is acquired mainly by ingesting contaminated pork, but has also been reported to be transmitted through blood transfusion. Although most HEV infections, including those via blood products, are usually self-limiting, they may become chronic in immunocompromised persons. It is thus essential to identify HEV-infected blood donations to prevent transmission to vulnerable recipients.

aimsPrior to the decision whether to introduce HEV RNA screening for all Swiss blood donations, a 2-year nationwide prevalence study was conducted.

methodsAll blood donations were screened in pools of 12-24 samples at five regional blood donation services, and HEV RNA-positive pools were subsequently resolved to the individual donation index donation (X). The viral load, HEV IgG and IgM serology, and HEV genotype were determined. Follow-up investigations were conducted on future control donations (X + 1) and previous archived donations of the donor (X - 1) where available.

resultsBetween October 2018 and September 2020, 541,349 blood donations were screened and 125 confirmed positive donations were identified (prevalence 1:4331 donations). At the time of blood donation, the HEV RNA-positive individuals were symptom-free. The median viral load was 554 IU/mL (range: 2.01-2,500,000 IU/mL). Men (88; 70%) were more frequently infected than women (37; 30%), as compared with the sex distribution in the Swiss donor population (57% male/43% female,

conclusionThe data collected during the first year of the study provided the basis for the decision to establish mandatory HEV RNA universal screening of all Swiss blood donations in minipools, a vital step in providing safer blood for all recipients, especially those who are immunosuppressed.

Indexed as

Blood DonorsGenotypeHepatitis EHepatitis E virusRNA, ViralAdolescentAdultAgedFemaleHepatitis AntibodiesHumansImmunoglobulin GImmunoglobulin MMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceHepatitis AntibodiesImmunoglobulin GImmunoglobulin MRNA, Viralblood donorshepatitis E virus phylogenetic analysissurveillanceSwitzerlanduniversal blood donor screening genotypezoonotic infection

Identifiers

PMID38793625
PMCPMC11125967

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.