Detection of human bocavirus in Saudi healthy blood donors

PLoS One. 2018 Feb 28;13(2):e0193594. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193594. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Human bocavirus is associated with respiratory disease worldwide, mainly in children. There are conflicting results, however, regarding the existence of the HBoV in blood donors. Three hundred whole blood samples from non-immunodeficient healthy blood donors were screened for the presence of HBoV by polymerase chain reaction. The HBoV genotype of positive samples was determined using direct gene sequencing. Twenty-one out of the three hundred blood samples were found to be positive for HBoV. Sequence analysis of the positive samples revealed that all the strains were related to the HBoV-1 type with a low rate of variation among the detected sequences. It was concluded that there is a considerable risk of contracting HBoV from a blood transfusion from normal healthy individuals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Blood Donors / statistics & numerical data*
  • DNA, Viral / blood
  • Female
  • Healthy Volunteers*
  • Human bocavirus / genetics
  • Human bocavirus / isolation & purification*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • DNA, Viral

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Taif University, Project Number 4912-437-1 to ASA. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or reparation of the manuscript.