Transfusion-transmissible infections : seroprevalence among donors in an Egyptian university blood bank

Abstract EN

Background: Blood safety is facing a major challenge in Egypt, having a high recorded prevalence of Hepatitis C virus antibodies (HCV Ab).

Egypt is facing a new era after three years of starting the implementation of the new antivirals for HCV infected individuals and 25 years of the compulsory vaccination program of hepatitis B.

Aim: to estimate the seroprevalence of Hepatitis B and C viruses, HIV, and Trepenoma Pallidum antibodies among blood donors in a university blood bank.

Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at Suez Canal University blood bank based on official records.

53138 donors’ data were analyzed from Jan 2015 to July 2018.

Results: Among blood donors the prevalence of HCV Ab and HBsAg was 1.87 % and 0.97% respectively.

No recorded positive cases of either HIV Ag-Ab or syphilis antibodies among the donated blood in this period.

Percentages of positive HBsAg among family replacement donors (RD) and volunteer donors (VD) were decreased from 1.1% and 1.17 % in 2015 to 0.91% and 0.96% in 2018.

Moreover, seropositivity for HCV Ab was declined in both RD and VD from 3% and 2.5% in 2015 to 1.3% and 1.4% in 2018, respectively.

Conclusion: The prevalence of HCV and HBV is decreasing among blood donors and this may be attributed to the increasing awareness regarding blood-transmitted, hepatitis B vaccination, adherence to strict donation criteria, and introduction of oral direct acting antivirals.