Hepatitis B surface antigenaemia: incidence and significance in Zambian blood donors.

Forty-eight (5.0%) of 966 healthy Zambian blood donors were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) when tested by the turkey erythrocyte passive haemagglutination (TEPHA) method. Twenty-six were investigated in detail, but only one blood donor was found to have liver disease, and this was thought unlikely to be causally related to HBsAg (alcohol-induced fatty infiltration). It is recommended however, that blood donors should be screened for HBsAg. Positive individuals should be rejected but their serum tested for aspartate transaminase (AST), and, if elevated, a liver biopsy performed. This ideal policy is not practicable in all tropical hospitals.