The prevalence and trends of transfusion-transmissible infectious pathogens among first-time, voluntary blood donors in Xi'an, China between 1999 and 2009

Self-reported high-risk behavior among first-time and repeat replacement blood donors; a four-year retrospective study of patterns

BACKGROUND

There is no replacement for blood, and patients requiring transfusion depend on human donors, most of whom are family donors. Family donors may deny engagement in high-risk activities, which threaten the safety of donated blood. This study determined frequency of self-reported high-risk behaviors among replacement donors.

METHODS

This retrospective study recruited 1317 donor records from 2017-2020, at Mankranso Hospital, Ghana. Data from archived donor questionnaires were extracted and analyzed with SPSS and GraphPad. Frequencies, associations, and quartiles were presented.

RESULTS

The donors were predominantly males (84.4%), 17-26 years old (43.7%), informal workers (71.8%), rural inhabitants (56.5%), first-time (65.0%), and screened in the rainy season (56.3%). Donation frequency was significantly associated with age, sex, occupation, and residence. Repeat donors were significantly older (p≤0.001). More males than females were deferred (p = 0.008), drug addicts (p = 0.001), had body modifications (p = 0.025), multiple sexual partners (p = 0.045), and STIs (p≤0.001), whereas, more females were recently treated (p = 0.044). Weight loss (p = 0.005) and pregnancy (p = 0.026) were frequent among 17-26-year group, whereas, tuberculosis was frequent among 37-60-year group (p = 0.009). More first-time donors were unwell (p = 0.005), deferred (p≤0.001), pregnant (p = 0.002), drug addicts, had impending rigorous activity (p = 0.037), body modifications (p = 0.001), multiple sexual partners (p = 0.030), and STIs (p = 0.008). STIs were frequent in the dry season (p = 0.010). First-time donors had reduced hemoglobin (p = 0.0032), weight (p = 0.0003), and diastolic pressure (p = 0.0241).

CONCLUSION

Donation frequency was associated with age, sex, occupation, and residence, with first-time donors younger than repeat donors. Deferral from donation, drug addiction, body modification, multiple sexual partners, and STIs were frequent among males, whereas, more females received treatment. Tuberculosis was frequently reported among older adults, whereas, weight loss and pregnancy were frequent among younger individuals. More first-time donors reported being unwell, deferred, drug addiction, body modifications, multiple sexual partners, STIs, and pregnant. Hemoglobin, weight, and diastolic BP were reduced among first-time donors.

Prevalence and trends of transfusion transmissible infections among blood donors in Basra, Iraq

BACKGROUND

Despite saving millions of lives through blood transfusion, transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) still threaten the lives of patients requiring blood transfusion. Hence, screening blood donors and studying the prevalence of TTIs among blood donors may display the burden of these diseases among our population. The aim of this study was to assess the seroprevalence rates of transfusion transmitted infections among blood donors in Basra, Iraq from 2019 to 2021 as groundwork for providing safe blood transfusion in Iraq.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out in the blood banks in Basra, Iraq from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2021. A total of 197 898 samples were collected and screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-hepatitis B core (HBc), anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) and syphilis immunologically.

RESULTS

The prevalence rates of seropositive of viral hepatitis for the year 2019, 2020, 2021 were as following: hepatitis B virus (HBV) rates 1.54%, 1.45% and 1.14% with significant declined trend by 26%; anti-HCV rates were 0.14, 0.12 and 0.11% with significant declined trend by 21.4%; and the syphilis rates were 0.38, 0.47, 0.36 with marked declined trend 5.3%, respectively.Of those donors showed HBV positive, 2503 (1.26%) had positive anti-HBc results, while only 173 (0.0874) showed positive test results for both anti-HBc and HBsAg.

CONCLUSION

Prevalence rates of viral hepatitis and syphilis showed a steady decline between 2019 and 2021, and these rates were much lower in Basra than in other parts of Iraq and neighbouring countries. The importance of using the anti-HBc test in the screening of blood donors was indicated in this study. These findings would contribute in improving the understanding of TTIs epidemiology and supporting health authorities controlling bloodborne diseases.

Seroprevalence, trends, and risk factors of hepatitis B and C among family replacement blood donors; a 7-year retrospective study at Sunyani Municipal Hospital, Ghana

Hepatitis B and C cause chronic infections which develop into liver-related sequelae, like cirrhosis and liver carcinoma. This study determined the seroprevalence, trends, and risk factors of HBV and HCV among family replacement donors. A retrospective review of primary data on blood donors screened between January 2015 and December 2021 was conducted at Sunyani Municipal Hospital. The data were assessed for seroprevalence, trends, and odds ratios using SPSS. Of 6847 donors, the majority were males (88.1% [6033]), ≤24 years (27.4% [1874]), O blood type (69.8% [4776]), and Rh-positive (89.9% [6154]). The seroprevalences of HBV and HCV were 3.2% and 1.9%, respectively, with more males infected with HBV and HCV (3.4% vs 2.0%). Males were 2.842 times (p = .001) and 2.399 times (p = .025) more susceptible than females to HBV and HCV, respectively. In the rainy season, donors were 1.489 times (p = .041) more susceptible to HCV. HBV and HCV seroprevalence declined over the period (slope: -0.5464, p ≤ .001 vs slope: -0.6179, p ≤ .001). Male gender and rainy season were significant determinants of both infections. The seroprevalence of HBV was higher than HCV despite the significant decline in both infections. We, recommend health authorities intensify health education among males and during the rainy season.

Reducing the risk of transfusion-transmitted infectious disease markers in blood and blood component donations: Movement from remunerated to voluntary, non-remunerated donations in Lithuania from 2013 to 2020

Lithuania has a long history of remunerated donations. The first steps towards voluntary, non-remunerated blood and blood component donations started in 2004. Lithuania achieved 99.98% voluntary non-remunerated donations (VNRDs) in 2020. This study aimed to assess the risk of transfusion-transmitted infectious (TTI) disease markers for remunerated donations in comparison with VNRDs in Lithuania from 2013 to 2020. Data were obtained from the Lithuanian Blood Donor Register. The prevalence was calculated as the rate between the number of confirmed positive results for all TTI disease markers (serological anti-HCV, HBsAg, Ag/anti-HIV 1 and 2, and syphilis, and/or HCV, HBV, and HIV-1 NAT) per 100 donations. The relative risk of infectious disease markers for remunerated donations was then estimated. In total, 796310 donations were made. Altogether, 2743 donations were positive for TTI markers as follows: HCV, 1318; HBV, 768; syphilis, 583; and HIV 1 and 2, 74. The prevalence of confirmed TTI markers were 2.86, 0.97, 0.18, and 0.04 per 100 first-time remunerated donations, first-time VNRDs, repeat remunerated donations, and repeat VNRDs, respectively. Remunerated first-time and repeat donations had a statistically higher prevalence of TTI disease markers than VNRDs. First-time and repeat remunerated donations had statistically significantly higher relative risks of confirmed TTI disease markers than VNRD. In conclusion, the risks of TTI disease markers for remunerated first-time and repeat blood and its component donations are significantly higher than those for VNRDs.

Seroprevalence and trends of transfusion transmissible infections among retrospective blood donors in Western Azerbaijan Regional Blood Transfusion Center, Iran: A ten-years evaluation

Transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs) have been a public health challenge for the accessibility, quality and safety of blood transfusion. The present study aimed to consider the prevalence and the trends of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis across the ten years among retrospective blood donors. A retrospective investigation of blood donors' data covering the period from 22 May 2009 to 22 May 2019 was done. Data was accumulated and analyzed from Blood Transfusion Center records, pertaining to all donors who were screened for various TTIs using respective immunological techniques. Out of the 682,171 screened donors in the 2009-2019 study period, 2470 (0.36 %) were infected with at least one infectious agent. The overall prevalence of HBV, HCV, HTLV-1, HIV and syphilis were 1700 (0.25 %), 184 (0.027 %), 335 (0.05 %), 4 (0.0.05 %) and 247 (0.036 %), respectively. The study showed male dominated donor pool (96.79 %) with higher prevalence (0.34 %) of TTIs compared to female donors (0.02 %) with 3.21 % population. Despite the low prevalence of TTIs in our study, HBV, HCV, syphilis and HIV have remained a big threat to safe blood transfusion in Iran. Strict adherence to selection criteria, algorithm of donor screening, use of highly sensitive and specific methods for detection of TTIs, regular consultation and health education programs, prevention and sanitization strategies to reduce the risk of TTIs are recommended to reduce the risk of TTIs and ensure the safety of blood transfusion for recipient.

Trends and epidemiological analysis of hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, and human T-cell lymphotropic virus among Iranian blood donors: strategies for improving blood safety

Background

Blood transfusion is associated with potential risks of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs). Different strategies are needed to monitor blood safety and screen the donors’ efficacy, such as evaluation of the prevalence and trends of TTIs. This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence and trends of TTIs, including hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV 1/2), and the impact of the donors’ characteristics such as age, sex, and donor status on the prevalence of TTIs in blood donors in seven large provinces of Iran from 2010 to 2018.

Methods

This study was conducted on the data collected from all blood donations in seven Iranian Blood Transfusion Centers including Ardabil, Alborz, Guilan, West Azarbaijan, North, Razavi, and South Khorasan from April 2010 to March 2018. Demographic characteristics, number of donations, donor status, and screening and confirmatory serological results of all blood donations were collected from Iranian Blood Transfusion Organizations (IBTO) national database. The prevalence and trend of HBV, HCV, HIV, and HTLV 1/2 infections were reported according to the donation year and donor’s characteristics.

Results

The analysis of the prevalence and trend of TTIs in 3,622,860 blood donors showed a significant decreasing trend in first-time and regular donors. Additionally, compared to first- time donors, regular donors made safer blood donations with lower risks of HBV, HIV, HCV and HTLV 1/2 (P < 0.0001). Although the prevalence of HTLV 1/2 and HBV was higher in females, TTIs had a significant decreasing trend in males and females. Finally, it was found that the prevalence of HBV and HTLV 1/2 increased with age up to 40–49 years and then decreased thereafter.

Conclusions

The decreasing trends of TTIs in Iranian donors during 9 years may indicate that the various strategies implemented by IBTO have been effective in recent years. Other factors such as a decrease in the prevalence of specific TTIs in the general population might have also contributed to these declines.

Prevalence and trends of transfusion transmissible infections among blood donors in the State of Qatar, 2013-2017

BACKGROUND

Millions of lives around the world are being saved annually through blood transfusion. However, blood transfusion is among the essential vehicles for transmitting infections. The overall prevalence of Transfusion Transmissible Infections among blood donors differs around the world, reflecting the variation in the prevalence of these infections. This study aims to assess the prevalence and trends of Transfusion Transmissible Infections among blood donors in Qatar.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study utilizing donation records of 5 years from January 2013 to December 2017. We included in the study results for all screening and confirmatory tests for Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, Human T-lymphotropic Virus-I/II, Syphilis and Malaria.

RESULTS

Among the 190,509 donations received at the donation centre during the study period, about 91% of donations were received from males and 9% from females. The overall positivity rate for all tests was 1.87, 2.23, 1.78, 2.31, 2.67% for the years 2013 through 2017, with an increasing yearly trend by 6% each year. The overall positivity rates for Hepatitis C Virus, Human T-lymphotropic Virus-I/II, Hepatitis B Virus, Syphilis and Malaria (2013-2017) were 0.60, 0.18, 0.30, 0.43 and 0.20%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The overall positivity rate of all tests combined for the Transfusion Transmissible Infections demonstrated a gradually increasing trend from 2013 to 2017. However, the trend for each infection (Hepatitis C Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, Syphilis and Malaria) was fluctuating except for Human T-lymphotropic Virus-I/II, which was increasing. Supporting the development of effective prevention and control strategies requires further comprehensive investigations for better estimation of the burden of these infections.

Prevalence and trends of transfusion-transmittable infections among blood donors in Southwest China

BACKGROUND

The high prevalence of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) is causing serious harm to human health worldwide. The aim of this research was to assess the prevalence and influencing factors of TTIs in Southwest China.

METHODS

A retrospective study of blood donor records from January 2008 to December 2015 was conducted. All samples were screened for HBV, HCV, HIV and syphilis. The donor's data was recorded and analyzed statistically using SPSS software.

RESULTS

We revealed that the prevalence of TTIs showed a decreasing trend from 2.39 to 1.98%, and this was slightly lower than that in other regions of China. Syphilis infection was the most serious issue among blood donors in Southwest China, which demonstrated a significantly higher rate than that in other areas of China. The high infection rate of the female and farmer groups in rural regions is worth noting. The logistic regression model showed that age, occupation and donor category was the influential factors for TTIs.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall prevalence of TTIs demonstrated a decreasing trend from 2008 to 2015 in Southwest China, but there is still a sufficient threat to blood safety, and more efforts are needed to further guarantee blood safety in China.

Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among foreigners living in Guangzhou, China: a cross-sectional study (2010-2017)

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of HIV/HCV/HBV/ Treponema pallidum is an essential health issue in China. However, there are few studies focused on foreigners living in China. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and socio-demographic distribution of HIV, HBV, HCV, and T. pallidum among foreigners in Guangzhou in the period of 2010-2017.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted to screen serological samples of 40,935 foreigners from 2010 to 2017 at the Guangdong International Travel Health Care Center in Guangzhou. Samples were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HCV, syphilis antibody (anti-TPPA) and anti-HIV 1 and 2. We collected secondary data from laboratory records and used multiple logistic regression analyses to verify the association between different factors and the seroprevalence of HIV/HBV/HCV/ T. pallidum.

RESULTS

The prevalence of HBV/HCV/HIV/ T. pallidum was 2.30, 0.42, 0.02, and 0.60%, respectively, and fluctuated slightly for 7 years. The results of multiple logistic regression showed that males were less susceptible to HBV than females (odds ratio [OR] = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.67-0.89). Participants under the age of 20 had a lower risk of HBV (OR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.18-0.35), HCV (OR = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.02-0.18), and T. pallidum (OR = 0. 10, 95% CI: 0.05-0.20) than participants over the age of 50. Participants with an education level below high school were more likely to have HBV (OR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.89-4.70) than others, and businessmen (OR = 3.02, 95% CI: 2.03-4.49), and designers (OR = 3.83, 95% CI: 2.49-5.90) had a higher risk of T. pallidum than others. Co-infection involved 58 (4.20%) total cases, and the highest co-infection rate was observed for HBV and T. pallidum (2.60%).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of HBV/HCV/HIV/ T. pallidum was low among foreigners in Guangzhou. Region, gender, age, educational level, and occupation were risk factors for positive infection.

Seroprevalence and trend of hepatitides among blood donors in a district hospital in Ghana: a nine-year retrospective, descriptive cross-sectional study

Hepatitis infections are among the greatest threats to human existence and survival and hence poses a serious public health challenge in blood donation. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and trend of hepatitis infections among voluntary blood donors at Nkenkaasu District Hospital. A retrospective study of voluntary blood donors' records from January 2010 to December 2018 was conducted. Data on the donors' age, sex and serum HBsAg and Hepatitis C virus results were retrieved from the Laboratory's register and analyzed with SPSS version 16.0. Out of the 3306 total donors, the seroprevalence of hepatitis C infection was 11.7% and hepatitis B infection was 10.3%. Only 1.4% of the donors were co-infected with both pathogens and 82.7% had no infection. Rhesus blood group had a significant association with Hepatitis B (P = 0.005). As at 2010, both hepatitis infections had the same prevalence (73), from 2011 to 2018 both showed inconsistent trends. The relatively high seroprevalence of hepatitis infections identified from the study poses a greater threat to blood safety. Extensive screening of blood donors using standard techniques is highly recommended to ensure that recipients receive safe blood.

Seroprevalence and associated risk factors for HIV, Hepatitis B and C among blood Donors in South Gondar District blood Bank, Northwest Ethiopia

Background

Despite the undeniable significance of blood transfusion in saving a millions life in emergencies and medical treatment, the quality of blood faced challenges from transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) such as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), HBV (hepatitis B virus) and HCV (hepatitis C virus). This cross-sectional study was undertaken with the aim of determining the seroprevalence and risk factors of HIV, HBV, and HCV among blood donors.

Methods

An institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted at Debre Tabor district hospital from January 2017 to February 2018. Blood samples from volunteer donors collected; serum separated and screened with ELISA tests for detection of anti-HIV, hepatitis-B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HCV. Fishers’ exact test was employed to see the association between variables as well logistic regression tests were applied to identify potential risk factors. P-value of less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Result

A total of 310 volunteer donors were included in the study. The proportion of blood donors having at least one viral-TTI was 12.6% while the magnitudes of HIV, HBV, and HCV were 2.6, 5.8 and 4.2%, respectively. Educational status and multiple sexual behaviors are significantly associated with HIV acquisition whilst marital status was significantly associated with HBsAg seropositivity.

Conclusion

Seroprevalence of transfusion-transmissible infections was high and alarming therefore proper screening of donated blood with test methods having better diagnostic performance should be employed. Also encouragement of blood donation from voluntary donors and creating awareness on the general public regarding HIV, HBsAg and HCV transmission and prevention should be strengthen.

Estimation of hepatitis B-positive rates in Chinese blood donors by combining predonation and postdonation screening results

BACKGROUND

Chinese blood centers use Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) rapid test (RT) in pre-donation and two rounds of screening with different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in post-donation. Nucleic acid testing (NAT) on screening non-reactive (SC-) donations has been gradually implemented since 2010. Yet RT+ and SC-/NAT+ donors are seldom included in hepatitis B virus (HBV) positive rate estimates in Chinese blood donors.

METHODS

We performed HBsAg neutralization test (NT) on whole blood (WB) with pre-donation RT+ results and post-donation screening reactive (SC+) samples from Mianyang and Chongqing in 2015. The annual totals of pre- and post-donation NT+ donors were combined with the annual totals of SC-/NAT+ donors to derive the estimated HBV positive rates.

RESULT

In Mianyang and Chongqing, 59.4% and 68.2% of RT+ donors in Jan-Aug 2015 contributed for NT, 95.5% and 97.2% of which were NT+ respectively. In 2015, 422 and 667 donors from Mianyang and Chongqing respectively were HBsAg RT+, yielding estimated 403 and 648 pre-donation RT+/NT+ deferrals. 411 and 668 post-donation SC+ samples were NT tested from Mianyang and Chongqing, of which 249 and 323 were NT+ respectively. An estimated 63 donors in Mianyang and 88 donors in Chongqing were SC-/NAT+. The estimated HBV confirmed positive rate in blood donors are 1.59% in Mianyang and 1.01% in Chongqing.

CONCLUSION

Pre-donation HBsAg RT effectively intercepts donations from HBV infected donors. Using NT confirmatory results from RT+, SC+ and SC-/NAT+ donors, this study provides a model for more accurate estimation for HBV positive rates in China.

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus and Treponema pallidum infections in hospitalized patients before transfusion in Xiangya hospital Central South University, China from 2011 to 2016

Background

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and Treponema pallidum (TP) infections are considered classic transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs). Few data are available about the prevalence of TTIs in patients before blood transfusion in China. This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of four TTIs among patients before blood transfusion in Xiangya Hospital Central South University, China.

Methods

From 2011 to 2016, 442,121 hospitalized patients before possible blood transfusion were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HCV, syphilis antibody (anti-TP) and anti-HIV.

Results

Of the 442,121 patients, the overall positivity of the four TTI serum markers was 15.35%. The positive rates of HBsAg, anti-HCV, anti-HIV and anti-TP were 10.98, 1.43, 0.16 and 2.78%, respectively. TTI serum markers showed a significant difference by gender, with positive rates of 17.98% for males and 12.79% for females. The prevalence of TTI serum markers varied significantly by age. The overall co-infection rate was 0.63%, and the top three multiple infections were HBV-TP, HBV-HCV, and HCV-TP. The co-infection rates of HBV-TP and HBV-HCV showed a significant decrease from 2011 to 2016, while the rates of other co-infections remained stable.

Conclusions

The prevalence of TTIs in patients before blood transfusion is much higher compared to that in blood donors in the region. The infection rates of HIV and TP increased, and the infection rate of HBsAg decreased in recent years.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12879-018-3051-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

An efficient rapid system for assaying HBx-mediated transactivation

OBJECTIVES

To develop a rapid and accurate assay system for screening inhibitors or enhancing agents targeting the transactivation capability of hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) that activates cellular promoters in host cells to facilitate viral replication.

RESULTS

We constructed a new GFP-based reporter system which was different from a luciferase-based reporter system. Firstly, a FLAG-tagged HBx gene was inserted into an expression plasmid, resulting in plasmid pHBx. Next, HBx-FLAG was linked to EGFP by the internal ribosome entry site resulting in plasmid pHBxE. The transactivation effect of HBx-flag on cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter was verified by EGFP expression using fluorescence quantitation and qPCR. Furthermore, the transactivation ability of the HBx gene was quantified by flow cytometry. Finally, this assay system was tested by known regulators of HBx including DDB1, ID1, and P53. As expected, the GFP reporter level in 293T cells changed with the increasing of HBx regulators. Furthermore, the system modeling the function of transactivation repressor in Hep3B, a HBV-integrated cell line.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, the GFP-based reporter system provides a rapid and accurate approach for analyzing transactivation ability of HBx.

Seroprevalence and diagnosis of HIV, HBV, HCV and syphilis infections among blood donors

BACKGROUND

Blood transfusion is one of the most important therapeutic options of life-saving intervention for recipients who are in diseased or non-diseased conditions with severe blood loss. However, it is associated with certain risks which can lead to adverse consequences that may cause acute or delayed complications and bring the risk of transfusion-transmissible infections including HIV, Hepatitis B & C and Syphilis. So, there might be a fatal risk instead of life saving. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive and reliable tabulation of available data on seroprevalence and diagnosis of HIV, HBV, HCV and Syphilis infections among blood donors.

METHODS

We searched studies reporting the prevalence rate of HIV, HBV, HCV and Syphilis infections among blood donors that were published between October 2009 and June 2016, using databases of PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE, Elsevier, ScienceDirect, EBSCO, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and Web of Science with keywords: ``Hepatitis C Virus'', ``Hepatitis B Virus'', ``HIV'', ``Syphilis'', ``Seroprevalence'', and ``blood donor''.

RESULTS

The seroprevalence of HBV and HCV was highest in African countries as compared to others continents, predominantly the West African region with a range of 10.0% to 14.96% and 1.5% to 8.69%, respectively, while the overall seropositivity of HIV and syphilis infection show a significant declining pattern through successive years globally, even though relatively higher prevalence rate was observed among older age and those with low level of education.

CONCLUSION

There is a problem during selection, diagnoses and screening process in developing nations primarily due to shortage of sensitive screening test kits, highly qualified human resource and lack of proper standard operating procedures and hence, the safety of blood and blood products are the primary threats in the region. Proper clinical diagnosis and screening method should be applied during blood donation and therefore, all the donated blood should be screened properly for transfusion-transmitted infections.

Prevalence of transfusion transmissible infections in blood donors of Pakistan

Background

Transfusion-transmitted infections threaten the safety of patients requiring blood transfusion, which in turn imposes serious challenges for the availability of safe blood products that are still affordable in health care systems with limited resources. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of transfusion-transmitted infections in blood donors and to evaluate the demographic characteristics of reactive and non-reactive blood donors.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted at our institute in Karachi, Pakistan. Donors were required to fill a detailed questionnaire and were screened for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Human immunodeficiency viruses, Syphilis and Malaria by ELISA and thick film (malaria).

Results

Of the 16,602 blood donors, 16,557 were males and 45 females (mean age 28.6 ± 2). Nine hundred and seventy three (5.8%) donations were reactive in any screening assay, with 58 (0.35%) donations reacting in more than one assay. The prevalence of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Human immunodeficiency viruses, Syphilis and Malaria was found to be 1.84, 1.7, 0.04, 2.1 and 0.07% respectively. Characteristics among the infections were evaluated and it was found that unmarried donors had a higher chance to be infected by Hepatitis B virus and Syphilis as compared to the other infections. On the other hand, construction workers and married donors were at more risk to be infected by Syphilis rather than the other infections. In case of co-infections, personnel with different occupations and marital status were infected by more than one pathogen.

Conclusion

A substantial percentage of the blood donor’s harbored transfusion-transmitted infections. Prevention of TTIs should be the main goal right now. There is a need for stringent selection of blood donors with the emphasis on getting voluntary donations and comprehensive screening of donor’s blood for TTIs using standard methods to ensure the safety of blood recipient.

Seroprevalence of human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B and C viruses, and Treponema pallidum infections among blood donors at Shiyan, Central China

Background

Ordinary screening of transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) among blood donors is essential for blood transfusion. Although there is several TTIs studies focus on human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B and C viruses, and Treponema pallidum infections in China, it is no data to illustrate any firm conclusion from Shiyan City, Central China. It aims to verify the seroprevalence of TTIs among blood donors at Shiyan.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of blood donors’ information was conducted for the presence of HIV, HBV, HCV and T. pallidum. Logistic regression analysis was used to demonstrate risk factors including age, gender and occupation associated with them. The variation tendency in seroprevalence of these TTIs over the study period was evaluated by Cochran-Armitage trend test.

Results

Of 211 639 blood donors, 2 858 (1.35 %) had serological evidence of TTIs. The seroprevalence of HIV, HBV, HCV and T. pallidum were 0.08 %, 0.51 %, 0.20 % and 0.57 %, respectively. However, the co-infection prevalence of TTIs has not been detected. The HIV seropositivity significantly increased among female donors (OR = 1.63, P < 0.001) and farmers (OR = 2.02, P = 0.020). Significantly increased HBV seropositivity was only observed framers (OR = 1.87, P <0.001) compared to workers. Analogously, significantly increased HCV seropositivity was observed among farmers (OR = 2.59, P < 0.001), students (OR = 2.43, P < 0.001), merchants (OR = 1.70, P = 0.014) and others (OR = 1.78, P =0.001). The T. pallidum seroprevalence was notably increased among female (OR = 1.54, P < 0.001), and farmers (OR = 1.70, P <0.001). Moreover, significantly increasing trends of HIV (Z = −6.88, P < 0.01), HBV (Z = −4.52, P < 0.01), HCV (Z = −4.16, P < 0.01) and T. pallidum (Z = −1.36, P < 0.01) seropositivity were observed over the study period.

Conclusions

It originally offers a substantial prevalence of TTIs among blood donors at Shiyan, Central China. Severe blood donor selection and all-inclusive screening of blood are highly recommended. It might be helpful for developing and updating guidance for blood safety.

Trial registration

Retrospectively registered.

Transfusion-Transmissible Infections among Voluntary Blood Donors at Wolaita Sodo University Teaching Referral Hospital, South Ethiopia

Background. Transfusion-transmissible infections, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and syphilis are among the greatest threats to blood safety and pose a serious public health problem. Objective. To determine the magnitude of blood borne infections among blood donors at Wolaita Sodo University Teaching Referral Hospital. Methods and Materials. A cross-sectional study was conducted from 10/11/2015 up to 10/12/2015. 390 donors were consecutively included and data on donor's age, sex, blood type, and serum screening results were obtained by structured questionnaire and laboratory investigation. The collected data were entered into Epi Data version 1.4 and then exported to SPSS version 20.0 for analysis. Result. The seroprevalence of blood borne pathogens is 29.5% of which HCV, HBV, HIV, and syphilis account for 8.5%, 9.5%, 6.4%, and 7.5%, respectively. Multiple infections were observed among 2.8% of the infected individuals. In addition, age ≥ 30 has a significant association with HCV. Conclusion. Significantly higher prevalence of transfusion-transmissible infections was identified from blood donors and they remain to be the greatest threat to blood safety, so comprehensive screening of donors' blood for HIV, HBV, HCV, and syphilis using standard methods is highly recommended to ensure the safety of blood recipient.

Syphilis screening practices in blood transfusion facilities in Ghana

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of this study was to compare laboratory practices for screening blood donors for syphilis at blood transfusion facilities in Ghana with the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the National Blood Service, Ghana (NBSG). The prevalence of syphilis antibodies in blood donors in Ghana was also estimated.

METHODS

Over an 11-month period, from February 2014 to January 2015, a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 122 laboratory technical heads out of a total of 149 transfusion facilities in Ghana. The response rate was 81.9%.

RESULTS

A total of 58 (48%) transfusion facilities tested donors for syphilis, with an estimated 3.7% seroprevalence (95% confidence interval 3.6-3.8%). A total of 62782 out of 91386 (68.7%) donations were tested with assays that are not recommended. The estimated syphilis seroprevalence in voluntary donations was 2.9%, compared to 4.0% in family donations (p=0.001). Only 6.9% of the health facilities were using standard operating procedures (SOPs).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite international and national recommendations, more than half of the studied health facilities that provide blood transfusions in Ghana are not screening blood donations for syphilis. These data show a considerable mismatch between recommendations and practice, with serious consequences for blood safety and public health.

The estimation of prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis B virus infection among blood donors in Chengdu, China

The reported positive rates of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) among Chinese blood donors generally do not include data from pre-donation rapid tests. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of serologic markers for HBsAg and risk factors among blood donors from Chengdu, China. From April 2010 to March 2011, a total of 16,875 blood donors were enrolled. Data from HBsAg tests before and after donations were collected to estimate the prevalence of HBsAg. A case-control study was conducted in 265 unique HBsAg-positive blood donors and 530 seronegative donors between January 2011 and October 2012. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using conditional logistic regression. The population attributable risk (PAR) was estimated. The prevalence of HBsAg was 3.17% (95%CI, 2.91-3.43%). The following risk factors were associated with HBV infection: non-vaccination for HBV (OR = 4.236; 95%CI, 2.72-6.60%), razor sharing (OR = 2.370; 95%CI, 1.46-3.84%), dental treatment (OR = 1.714; 95%CI, 1.21-2.43%), acupuncture (OR = 1.983; 95%CI, 1.20-3.28%), a family history of HBV infection (OR = 2.257; 95%CI, 1.32-3.86%), and endoscopy (OR = 2.17; 95%CI, 1.04-4.51%). The PAR values of the risk factors were 42.77%, 31.78%, 13.68%, 6.18%, 6.09%, and 2.85%, respectively, and the total PAR was 68.78%. The prevalence of HBsAg among Chinese blood donors is still high. HBV vaccinations can provide protection. Blood contact from sharing instruments is still a high risk route of transmission for HBV. Immunization programs and behavioral interventions should be used to prevent blood donation infections and improve blood safety.

Prevalence and trends of transfusion-transmitted infections among blood donors in Tehran, Iran from 2008 to 2013

BACKGROUND

Evaluation of trends in the rate of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) in blood donors is essential for monitoring blood supply safety and donor screening effectiveness. The aim of this study was to determine the trends and prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and syphilis seromarkers among blood donors referred to Tehran Blood Transfusion Center (TBTC) from 2008 to 2013.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The data of all blood donors referred to TBTC between 2008 and 2013 were collected. The prevalence of HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis infections were expressed by donation year and donors' characteristics (age, gender, educational level and donor status).

RESULTS

Among 1,796,090 individuals who donated blood at TBTC from 2008 to 2013, analysis of trend for the prevalence of HBV showed a significant decrease from 423 to 153 per 10(5) donors. The similar pattern of decrease was observed for the prevalence of HCV from 139 to 69 per 10(5) donors, however the rate of decrease in HCV prevalence was slower than the rate of decrease in HBV prevalence. The prevalence of HIV was constant while the prevalence of syphilis showed a sharp decrease in 2009 and a constant prevalence from 2010 to 2013. The top three parameters influenced the rate of TTIs were donor status, age, and educational level.

CONCLUSION

The decreasing prevalence and trends of TTIs among the studied donors demonstrated that the safety measures which were employed in recent years in Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization have been effective.

Seroprevalence of transfusion transmissible infections (TTI), in first time blood donors in Abeokuta, Nigeria

BACKGROUND

Transfusion transmissible infections, such as HIV, HBV, HCV and syphilis are on the rise and pose a threat to blood safety.

OBJECTIVE

To determine prevalence and demographic profiles of TTI's among first time blood donors in Abeokuta, Nigeria.

METHODS

The study was conducted between February to November 2013; 130 first time blood donors were tested for the presence of HIV, HBsAg, HCV antibodies and Treponema palidium antibodies using EIA based rapid immunochromatographic kits. Data analysis was done using SPSS with a level of significance of p<0.05.

RESULTS

Prevalence rates to HIV, HBsAg, HCV antibody, were 6.2% (n=8), 10% (n=13) and 1.5% (n=2), there was 0% prevalence to Treponema palidium antibodies. Group specific prevalence rates revealed that educational status was associated with HBsAg positivity (p = 0.028), donors with a history of previous blood transfusion was also statistically associated with HIV sero-reactivity (p = 0.013).

CONCLUSIONS

High levels of HBsAg and HIV were observed, there is need to revise the donor testing algorithm in Nigeria in line with the prevalence of TTI's. We also advocate that a National surveillance system for TTI's be established through our National blood transfusion service (NBTS) program, a second serological test is also suggested to reduce the risk of occult HBV infection in Nigeria.

Prevalence and Incidence of Syphilis among Volunteer Blood Donors in Israel

Data of 1,290,222 volunteer blood donors, in a 5-year period, was analyzed for prevalence and incidence of syphilis. Subsequent testing of donations positive in Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay included Venereal Disease Research Laboratory and fluorescent Treponemal antibody absorption. Stepwise logistic regression model was used to identify positive syphilis serology. Prevalence of syphilis was 47 : 100,000, similar in men and women and increased significantly with age (P < 0.001). Native Israelis had the lowest prevalence rate of syphilis (21 : 100,000), while a significantly higher prevalence was found among immigrants from Africa, Eastern Europe, and South America (odds ratios of 19.0, 10.8, and 7.3, resp., P < 0.001 for each). About 33.2% of the seropositive donors had evidence of recent infection, and 66.8% had past infections. Incidence rate reached 8 : 100,000 person-years. Coinfection with HIV, HCV, and HBV was calculated as 8%, 1.88%, and 0.37% for positive donations, respectively. The data support the need to continue screening blood donors in Israel for syphilis and employ preventive measures to populations at risk, in order to improve public health, blood safety, and quality. A subsequent study to assess blood donors' knowledge, attitude, and behavior is planned. In times of global migration this information may be useful to blood services worldwide.

A Bayesian meta-analysis on prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among Chinese volunteer blood donors

BACKGROUND

Although transfusion-transmitted infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) threatens the blood safety of China, the nationwide circumstance of HBV infection among blood donors is still unclear.

OBJECTIVES

To comprehensively estimate the prevalence of HBsAg positive and HBV occult infection (OBI) among Chinese volunteer blood donors through bayesian meta-analysis.

METHODS

We performed an electronic search in Pub-Med, Web of Knowledge, Medline, Wanfang Data and CNKI, complemented by a hand search of relevant reference lists. Two authors independently extracted data from the eligible studies. Then two bayesian random-effect meta-analyses were performed, followed by bayesian meta-regressions.

RESULTS

5957412 and 571227 donors were identified in HBsAg group and OBI group, respectively. The pooled prevalence of HBsAg group and OBI group among donors is 1.085% (95% credible interval [CI] 0.859%~1.398%) and 0.094% (95% CI 0.0578%~0.1655%). For HBsAg group, subgroup analysis shows the more developed area has a lower prevalence than the less developed area; meta-regression indicates there is a significant decreasing trend in HBsAg positive prevalence with sampling year (beta = -0.1202, 95% -0.2081~-0.0312).

CONCLUSION

Blood safety against HBV infection in China is suffering serious threats and the government should take effective measures to improve this situation.

How often are major blood-borne pathogens found in eye patients? A serosurvey at an eye hospital in Southern China

BACKGROUND

The hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and treponema pallidum (TP) are blood-borne pathogens. They can lead to nosocomial and occupational infections in health care settings. We aimed to identify the prevalence of and risk factors associated with HBV, HCV, HIV and TP infections among patients with eye diseases at a tertiary eye hospital in Southern China.

METHODS

From July 2011 to June 2012, a total of 26,386 blood units were collected from eye patients, including inpatients and the day surgery patients at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, one of the biggest eye hospitals in China. Based on the primary diagnoses from this period, the subjects were classified into different ocular disease groups. All blood samples were tested for HBsAg, anti-HCV, anti-HIV and anti-TP.

RESULT

The overall prevalence of HBV, HCV, TP and HIV was 9.79%, 0.99%, 2.43% and 0.11%, respectively. The prevalence of HBsAg was much lower among patients younger than 20 years compared to other age groups. In addition, the risk of HBsAg was associated with the male gender, ocular trauma and glaucoma. The prevalence of TP increased with age and the prevalence among patients older than 30 was higher than that in patients younger than 20 years.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of HBV, HCV, HIV and TP in patients with eye diseases was identified. This information can be utilised to strengthen the health education and implementation of universal safety precautions to prevent the spread of blood-borne pathogens in health care settings.

Syphilis screening among 27,150 pregnant women in South Chinese rural areas using point-of-care tests

Objectives

To determine the prevalence and correlates of syphilis among pregnant women in rural areas of South China.

Methods

Point-of-care syphilis testing was provided at 71 health facilities in less developed, rural areas of Guangdong Province. Positive samples were confirmed at a local referral center by toluidine red unheated serum tests (TRUST) and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) tests.

Results

Altogether 27,150 pregnant women in rural Guangdong were screened for syphilis. 106 (0.39%) syphilis cases were diagnosed, of which 78 (73.6%) received treatment for syphilis. Multivariate analysis revealed that older pregnant women (31–35 years old, aOR 2.7, 95% CI 0.99–7.32; older than 35 years old, aOR 5.9, 95% CI 2.13–16.34) and those with a history of adverse pregnant outcomes (aOR 3.64, 95% CI 2.30–5.76) were more likely to be infected with syphilis.

Conclusions

A high prevalence of syphilis exists among pregnant women living in rural areas of South China. Enhanced integration of syphilis screening with other routine women's health services (OB GYN, family planning) may be useful for controlling China's syphilis epidemic.