Routine testing

The NAT testing solution from GFE has become the day to day routine test method for approximately 50% of the German blood bank market. Their high quality, robustness and sensitivity is a major pillar for patient safety. Meanwhile more than 16 million blood donations have been tested for viral nucleic acids with this system.

Risk reduction

Some mutations in the HIV primer binding region.

One of the major risk factors in the routine blood testing are mutations in viruses, particularly within the binding region of the PCR primers, which may disturb the test system.

The GFE continued to close the detection risk along the polymorphisms of the HIV genome by developing an HIV multiplex assay based on the amplification of three independent target regions.

Staying on top

Climate changes, travelling, or the transfer of viruses from animal to human challenge the local blood screening laboratories continuously.

Not only does the climate change and increased mobility bring viruses of different genotypes into all regions of the world, it also increases the spreading of the natural vectors of some viruses (e.g. mosquitoes).

The GFE regularly monitors this trends and addresses emerging Transfusion Transmitted Infections (TTI) such as e.g. West Nile Virus with the development or adjustment of kits.