Hepatitis B and Its Role in Blood Safety: A Review from Iran

Blood transfusion has an important role in public health and the blood safety remains a main concern. HBV has been considered as one of the most prevalent blood borne infections. It is estimated that chronic HBV affects 350-400 million people worldwide, with a mortality rate of 500,000 to 1.2 million deaths per year. Comprehensive knowledge about HBV is more important in blood safety in our country due to high number of blood dependent patients in Iran. In this article we review 138 research articles from Iran and worldwide. We discuss the prevalence, and the role of genotype, HBV-HCV co infection, HIV-HBV co infection and HBV in blood transfusion and blood safety. Iran is in Intermediate endemicity region and studeis indicate that between 10–60% of the Iranian population has the evidence of infection, and 2-7% are chronic carriers. In blood donors the rate of infection is lower than general population. The occult hepatitis B infection is the main concern in blood safety due to transmission of HBV via seronegative blood components. Iranian researchers have found a 1-2% prevalence of occult hepatitis B infection among Iranian blood donors. Considering the moderate HBV and occult hepatitis B prevalence in Iran, the new molecular methods to detect this infection among blood donors might increase the blood safety.