• Hepatitis A
  • Disease Issues

Can hepatitis A virus (HAV) be transmitted by blood?

Yes. On rare occasions, HAV infection has been transmitted by transfusion of blood or blood products collected from donors during the viremic phase of their infection (i.e., when HAV is in the donor’s blood). Since 2002, tests to detect the presence of hepatitis A virus RNA in donated plasma have drastically reduced the risk of hepatitis A transmission from products derived from blood plasma.

Last reviewed: June 25, 2023

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