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Hepatitis B
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Obligatory | Must not donate. |
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Obligatory | Must not donate. | Discretionary | If more than 12 months from recovery, and either all markers i.e. HBsAg, HBVDNA if carried out and HB core antibody (anti-HBs is not required) are negative or, if HB core antibody positive: HBsAg negative, screening HBV DNA (if carried out) negative and anti-HBs has been documented at more than 100 iu/l at some time, i.e. natural immunity, accept. | See if Relevant | Blood Safety Entry | Additional Information | Hepatitis B is a serious viral infection that can lead to chronic liver disease and liver cancer (hepatoma).
Individuals who are chronically infected are sometimes referred to as 'carriers'. They often have no, or minimal, symptoms associated with their infection.
Cases are often linked to place of birth, or mother s place of birth. The condition is very common in many parts of the world and vertical spread from mother to baby is often a major route of transmission. Hepatitis B may also be acquired by injecting drug use, sexual transmission and more rarely tattoos and piercings.
Leaving 12 months from recovery before testing provides additional security that the results will show if the infection is controlled and therefore unlikely to be passed on. There is no requirement to monitor the anti -HBs level, but if the donor is HB core antibody positive, anti-HBs must have been documented at >100iu/l at some point. | Reason for change | 'Person with current hepatitis B infection' and 'History of past Infection' have been separated.
'Known Carriers' has been removed as these individuals are 'Infected'. The term 'Carrier' may cause confusion. |
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Obligatory | Must not donate if less than 12 months from last contact | Discretionary | Obtain history (including time since last contact) and:
a) If still a partner or it is less than 12 months since the relationship ceased: If HB core antibody positive, HBsAg negative, screening HBV NAT (if carried out) negative and anti-HBs has been documented at more than 100 iu/l at some time, accept. Donor has natural immunity to hepatitis B
b) If more than 12 months since the relationship ceased and either all markers i.e. HBsAg, HBVDNA if carried out and HB core antibody (anti-HBs is not required) are negative, or if HB core antibody positive, HBsAg negative, screening HBV NAT (if carried out) negative and anti-HBs has been documented at more than 100 iu/l at some time, accept. No evidence of current infection, with or without immunity to hepatitis B. | Additional Information | There is no requirement to monitor the anti-HBs level. Any further exposure to HBV would be expected to boost the anti-HBs level and provide protection against HBV. If negative for anti-HBc, there is no requirement for an anti-HBs result. | Information | This entry is compliant with the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005. | Reason for change | The 'Discretionary' entry has been modified to allow former sexual partners of infected individuals to be accepted before 12 months have passed since the last sexual contact if they are naturally immune. |
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Obligatory | Must not donate if less than 12 months from last contact | Discretionary | Obtain history (including date that the partner cleared the HBV infection and the date that HBV immunisation of the donor commenced) and:
If more than 12 months from date that the partner was stated to have recovered from / cleared HBV, or more than 12 months from the date that the donor received the first dose of a course of HBV vaccine, whichever is the later date, and either all markers i.e. HBsAg, HBVDNA if carried out and HB core antibody (anti-HBs is not required) are negative, or HB core antibody positive, HBsAg negative, screening HBV DNA (if carried out) negative and anti-HBs has been documented at more than 100 iu/l at some time, accept. | Additional Information | The current partner of an individual with hepatitis B infection should have been offered immunisation. If the relationship started after the diagnosis of hepatitis B, immunisation may not have been carried out.
There is no requirement to monitor the anti-HBs level. Any further exposure to HBV would be expected to boost the anti-HBs level and provide protection against HBV. If negative for anti-HBc, there is no requirement for an anti-HBs result. | Information | This entry is compliant with the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005. | Reason for change | New additional guidance to cover donors who are the partners of people who have recovered from hepatitis B infection. |
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Obligatory | Must not donate if less than 12 months since sharing ceased. | Discretionary | Obtain history (if no longer sharing include the time since sharing ceased) and:
a) If still sharing or it is less than 12 months since sharing ceased: If HB core antibody positive, HBsAg negative, screening HBV NAT (if carried out) negative and anti-HBs has been documented at more than 100 iu/l at some time, donor has natural immunity, accept.
b) If more than 12 months since sharing ceased and either all markers i.e HBsAg, HBVDNA if carried out and HB core antibody (anti-HBs is not required) are negative, or HB core antibody positive, HBsAg negative, screening HBV NAT (if carried out) negative and anti-HBs has been documented at more than 100 iu/l at some time, accept. | See if Relevant | Hepatitis B - 4. Immunization, below. | Additional Information | There is no requirement to monitor the anti-HBs level. Any further exposure to HBV would be expected to boost the anti-HBs level and provide protection against HBV. If negative for anti-HBc, there is no requirement for an anti-HBs result. | Information | This entry is compliant with the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005. | Reason for change | There has been a modification to 'Discretionary' and to 'Additional Information'. |
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Obligatory | a) Known Exposure: Must not donate.
b) No Known Exposure: Must not donate if: Less than seven days after the last immunization was given. | Discretionary | a) Known Exposure: If more than 12 months from immunization, and either all markers i.e. HBsAg, HBVDNA if carried out and HB core antibody (anti-HBs is not required) are negative or HB core antibody positive, HBsAg negative, screening HBV DNA (if carried out) negative and anti-HBs has been documented at more than 100 iu/l at some time, accept.
b) No Known Exposure: If more than seven days after the last immunization was given, even after intramuscular immunoglobulin, accept. | See if Relevant | Hepatitis A - 4. Immunization | Additional Information | Immunization post exposure may be with specific anti-HB immunoglobulin as well as with HBsAg. Generally immunoglobulin would only be given after a known exposure to hepatitis B.
There is no requirement to monitor the anti-HBs level.
May be combined with hepatitis A immunization.
Sensitive assays for HBsAg may be positive following recent immunization. This is why a seven day deferral is required. | Update Information | This entry was last updated in: DSG-WB Edition 203, Release 18. | Reason for change | The entry has been changed to improve clarity. |
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Please do not contact this web site for personal medical queries, as we are not in a position to provide individual answers. |
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