Prevalence of HTLV-III Antibody in American Blood Donors

Abstract

To the Editor: On March 2, 1985, the Food and Drug Administration issued the first license for an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (EIA) for antibody to human T-cell lymphotropic virus, Type III (HTLV-III). Testing was begun immediately in American Red Cross blood regions, with the following results to date.Of 1,027,786 units of donated blood tested, 10,385 (1.0 per cent) were reactive on the initial EIA test for HTLV-III antibody. Of these, 1723 (0.17 per cent) were repeatably reactive, designated "EIA-positive" (EIA+), and not released for transfusion.Of 1455 EIA-positive blood units, representing approximately 868,000 donors, that were tested by Western . . .