Hepatitis E - Whole Blood and Components

Essential information

Obligatory

Must not donate if:

Less than 6 months from recovery

Discretionary

If less than 6 months from recovery and documented Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) RNA negative and anti-HEV IgG positive, accept.

Supporting information

See if relevant

• Travel

Additional information

Hepatitis E is an infectious hepatitis that is usually spread through contaminated food or water. Infection may be associated with travel to countries with poor hygiene/sewage conditions but increasingly, cases of Hepatitis E are being identified in the UK usually due to consumption of undercooked contaminated meat. Hepatitis E can affect non-human animals and has been found in pigs in the UK. There have been reports of transmission by transfusion. Infection in healthy individuals is often symptom free but in people with underlying problems in their immune systems it can be serious and occasionally fatal.

Reason for change:

The deferral for household and sexual contacts has been removed.

Version details:

WB-DSG Edition 203 Release 41 (10 May 2018)