A man who received a blood transfusion in the Tokyo metropolitan area in March died in June of fulminant hepatitis caused by blood tainted with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), which apparently slipped through blood screening administered by the Japanese Red Cross Society, The Yomiuri Shimbun learned Friday.

The man, who was in his 60s, was the second reported fatality from hepatitis contracted through contaminated blood that eluded the advanced screening introduced by the society in 1999.

The Red Cross plans to introduce more precise screening measures in autumn, but a recent internal investigation reportedly found that those measures also may be incapable of completely preventing HBV-contaminated blood from slipping through the screening undetected.

Given that this is the second death from HBV since the stepped-up blood checks were introduced, the Red Cross has launched a far-reaching revamp of its techniques and systems used to detect the virus, including bringing in more advanced technology. The society is double-checking some of the blood already stored for transfusions.

The patient received the transfusion during an operation in March. Although he initially made good progress in his recovery, he contracted fulminant hepatitis and died in June.

A medical examination before the operation found no trace of HBV in the patient, but it was detected in his body after the operation.

A new blood-testing system introduced in 1999 by the Red Cross to detect the virus in a bid to improve the safety of blood donations brought about a sharp reduction in donated blood found to be contaminated with the hepatitis C virus. Cases of patients contracting HBV from blood transfusions continued to emerge even after the new system was put in place, however, and it was discovered in August that one woman died from the virus after contracting it through a transfusion.

The society decided to reduce in autumn the number of donors whose blood is examined simultaneously in its advanced test from the current 50 donors to 20.

Continues......The Daily Yomiuri, Japan