{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T05:15:35Z","timestamp":1787030135989,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":73,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]],"date-time":"2025-12-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1766448000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Abbott"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Technological advancements in blood donor screening have significantly improved blood safety. However, certain testing challenges and limitations continue to face blood banks in donor screening for the hepatitis B virus, resulting in occasional cases of transfusion transmission. These cases are mostly related to donors presenting within the window period and donors with occult hepatitis B infection. There are several other challenges that professionals in transfusion medicine, infectious diseases, gastroenterology, and public health must be aware of. Maintaining the highest test sensitivity is a key parameter for enhancing blood safety, and the review describes current recommendations in this regard, along with relevant advancements. The diversity of viral genotypes and the potential for mutations affecting the surface antigen may negatively affect the performance of both serologic and nucleic acid tests. Serologic tests may also be affected by several interferences, endogenous or exogenous to the sample. A clear understanding of these challenges is necessary to create effective policies and procedures and to properly manage atypical cases.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v18010023","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]],"date-time":"2025-12-23T14:05:22Z","timestamp":1766498722000},"page":"23","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Key Challenges in Screening Blood Donors for Hepatitis B Virus"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3272-2393","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maha A.","family":"Badawi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Hematology Department, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Hematology Research Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Blood Transfusion Services Unit, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6656-6504","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sahar","family":"Eldakhakhny","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Diagnostic Virology Laboratory, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-3517-9106","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohamed","family":"Ali","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Dubai P.O. Box 32002, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6222-3440","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mazen","family":"Badawi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious Diseases Division, Internal Medicine Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Jeddah 21499, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jaffar","family":"Khiariy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Jeddah 21499, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7148-1943","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yagoub","family":"Bin-Taleb","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Gastroenterology Unit, Pediatric Department, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3804-5434","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Salwa I.","family":"Hindawi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hematology Department, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Hematology Research Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Blood Transfusion Services Unit, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Saudi Society of Transfusion Medicine & Services, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2688","DOI":"10.1111\/trf.16559","article-title":"An Assessment of Hepatitis B Virus Prevalence in South African Young Blood Donors Born after the Implementation of the Infant Hepatitis B Virus Immunization Program: Implications for Transfusion Safety","volume":"61","author":"Vermeulen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Transfusion"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sosa-Jurado, F., Palencia-Lara, R., Xicot\u00e9ncatl-Grijalva, C., Bernal-Soto, M., Montiel-Jarquin, \u00c1., Ibarra-Pichardo, Y., Rosas-Murrieta, N.H., Lira, R., Cortes-Hernandez, P., and Santos-L\u00f3pez, G. 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