{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,6]],"date-time":"2026-02-06T17:07:46Z","timestamp":1770397666948,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]],"date-time":"2026-02-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770249600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":35,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,1]],"date-time":"2026-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767225600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) refers to the detection of HBV DNA in blood or liver tissue in individuals who test negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), excluding the early phase of acute HBV infection. This hidden form of infection represents a substantial but frequently underestimated risk to blood transfusion safety, particularly in settings with limited resources. In Ethiopia and other low\u2010income countries, routine screening of blood donors often depends solely on HBsAg tests, which may overlook symptom\u2010free carriers with low viral loads. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of OBI among HBsAg\u2010negative blood donors and to assess its potential contribution to undetected HBV transmission in central Ethiopia.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Five hundred and eighty\u2010two plasma samples from HBsAg\u2010negative donors were analyzed. Initial screening for anti\u2010Hepatitis B core antibodies (anti\u2010HBc) was carried out using an enzyme\u2010linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Samples that tested positive for anti\u2010HBc were then analyzed for HBV DNA using the Abbott m2000 automated real\u2010time polymerase chain reaction (RT\u2010PCR) system. At the same time, information on sociodemographic characteristics and potential clinical risk factors for HBV exposure was obtained through structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed with SPSS Version 21, and statistical significance was considered at a\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      value of less than 0.05.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In this study, screening of 582 blood donors who were negative for HBsAg revealed that 135 (23.2%) donors, or nearly one\u2010quarter, showed evidence of previous HBV exposure through anti\u2010HBc reactivity. Subsequent molecular testing (PCR) identified a small proportion of these individuals carrying HBV DNA, confirming occult infection. Viral loads in all confirmed cases were low. Older donors, particularly those above 35\u2009years of age, demonstrated a markedly higher rate of anti\u2010HBc positivity. Overall, the occurrence of OBI was estimated at 1.7%, or approximately 17 cases for every 1000 blood donations, highlighting a critical gap in the current HBV screening protocol.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The findings demonstrate that a notable number of blood donors in central Ethiopia carry occult HBV infection, equivalent to 17 cases per 1000 donations. This indicates a concealed yet important risk of HBV transmission through blood transfusion. These results underscore the need to enhance donor screening protocols by incorporating both anti\u2010HBc testing and nucleic acid testing (NAT) to improve transfusion safety and prevent the spread of undetected HBV.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1155\/cjid\/3706202","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,6]],"date-time":"2026-02-06T05:36:00Z","timestamp":1770356160000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Unrecognized Transmission Risks of Occult Hepatitis B Virus Infection Among Blood Donors in Central Ethiopia"],"prefix":"10.1155","volume":"2026","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1927-6915","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gizachew","family":"Beykaso","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zeleke Dutamo","family":"Agde","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Solomon","family":"Gebre","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tigist","family":"Girma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_13_1_2","volume-title":"WHO Guidelines on Hepatitis B and C Testing","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2017"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/s2468-1253(17)30295-9"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_3_2","volume-title":"Global Hepatitis Report 2017: Executive Summary","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2017"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2450\/2008.0062-08"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1053\/jhep.2001.25172"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-016-2090-1"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_7_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/nejmra031087"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_8_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cld.2016.06.001"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_9_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/jmv.21862"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_10_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(15)61412-X"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_11_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12878-018-0115-2"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_12_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"68","DOI":"10.4314\/ejhd.v21i1.10034","article-title":"Seroprevalence of Major Blood-Borne Infections Among Blood Donors at Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia","volume":"21","author":"Dessie A.","year":"2007","journal-title":"The Ethiopian Journal of Health Development"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_13_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcv.2006.10.006"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_14_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/qad.0b013e3282eea504"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_15_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3748\/wjg.v17.i15.1927"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_16_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2893.2002.00344.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_17_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/hep.23886"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_18_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.virol.2015.02.031"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_19_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhep.2020.05.042"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_20_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1016\/S1665-2681(19)31561-3","article-title":"Molecular and Serological Characterization of Occult Hepatitis B Infection in Blood Donors from Mexico","volume":"10","author":"Garc\u00eda-Montalvo B. 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