Seroprevalence of human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B and C viruses and syphilis infections among blood donors at the Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Assessment of prevalence and risk factors associated with Hepatitis B virus infection among blood donors in Mogadishu Somalia

BACKGROUND

The Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is transmitted through contaminated blood or bodily fluids. Globally, over 81 million blood units are donated annually, a crucial therapeutic procedure without alternatives. However, blood-borne infections, including HBV, pose a significant hurdle to safe transfusions, especially in HBV-endemic regions like Somalia with limited screening. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the prevalence of Hepatitis B virus infection and identify risk factors associated with it among blood donors in Mogadishu, Somalia.

METHOD

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted between February and April 2023. Research tools included a 5-ml blood sample and a structured questionnaire. The presence or absence of HB markers was determined using a multi-HB rapid test and CDC's HB marker interpretation guideline. Logistic regression was used in univariate and multivariate models to identify risk factors associated with HBV infection, with significance set at a p-value < 0.05 in the final model.

RESULT

A total of 494 blood donors were recruited for this study; 93.9% were male, with a mean age of 31.5 (SD = 8.11). The prevalence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among blood donors was 9.7%, with a 95% CI of 7.1-12.3. In multivariable logistic regression, those with a monthly income of less than 200 USD (AOR = 5.20, 95% CI = 1.61-16.79), those with an income between 200 and 400 (AOR = 3.59, 95% CI = 1.38-9.34), Jobless blood donors (AOR = 3.78, 95% CI = 1.17-12.20), those in business occupations (AOR = 3.35, 95% CI = 1.24-9.08), those with a history of STDs (AOR = 4.83, 95% CI = 2.03-11.50), those without a history of HB vaccine (AOR = 13.81, 95% CI = 2.46-77.41), those with a history of tooth extraction (AOR = 6.90, 95% CI = 2.66-17.88), and those who shared sharp equipment (AOR = 2.90, 95% CI = 1.07-7.82) were more likely to become infected with the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) compared to their counterparts.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights a high prevalence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Implementation efforts against HBV infection should specifically focus on low-income individuals, the jobless, and donors with a history of STD to mitigate the burden of HBV infection and promote safer blood donation. In addition, discouraging the sharing of sharp equipment, improving infection control practices during tooth extraction procedures, and enhancing HB vaccination uptake, particularly among individuals lacking a history of HB vaccine, is highly recommended.

Patient Blood Management and Its Role in Supporting Blood Supply

Blood donors and voluntary blood donations are essential for ensuring the blood supply that can be maintained by good patient blood management (PBM) practices. This review article explores the role of blood donation in PBM and highlights the importance of donor screening and selection processes in different regions worldwide. The donor health questionnaires and the focused physical examination guidelines have changed in the last decade to increase donor and recipient safety. This article also discusses the status of transfusion practices, including the challenges of ensuring a safe blood supply. Significant among these are the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the blood supply chain and the impact of an aging donor population, especially. Promoting autologous donations and other blood conservation strategies are suggested to mitigate these issues. The role of replacement donors and the upper age limit for voluntary blood donation may be decided based on the demography and donor pool. The involvement of C-suite executives is also critical in implementing and running a successful PBM program. The review highlights how these different aspects of blood donation are integral to a successful PBM program and the safety of patients who receive blood transfusions.

Follow-up of Military Blood Donors Who Test Positive for Syphilis

BACKGROUND

Several large studies have demonstrated that syphilis carries a risk of future sexually transmitted infections (STI), such as human immunodeficiency virus. There are limited data on outcomes of syphilis infections that occur in populations that undergo universal syphilis screening, such as blood donors. Military trainees who donate blood can be followed through their military career to determine the future risk of STIs.

METHODS

Blood donor data were gathered from the Armed Services Blood Bank Center-San Antonio for those with positive Treponema pallidum antibodies between 2014 and 2021. The medical chart of each case was compared with 6 sex- and military accession date-matched controls with negative T. pallidum antibodies to determine the risk of STI in the 3 years after donation.

RESULTS

A total of 63,375 individuals donated blood during the study period. A total of 23 military trainees (0.36 per 1000 donors) had positive T. pallidum antibodies. A minority (n = 7; 30%) of cases were treated for early syphilis. Only 6 cases (26%) received a follow-up nontreponemal test within 1 year. Donors who tested positive had a significantly higher risk of developing an STI within 3 years after blood donation compared with blood donors who tested negative (relative risk, 3.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-10.5; P = 0.01) including gonorrhea (9% vs. 0%, P = 0.02) and syphilis (9% vs. 0%, P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows the presence of T. pallidum antibodies in blood donors was associated with an increased risk of future STIs. These cases support the need for close follow-up and broad STI testing in blood donors with positive T. pallidum antibodies.

Seroprevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, and Hepatitis B Virus Among Blood Donors in Sidi Bel Abbes, West Algeria

Introduction Blood transfusions can transmit various viruses. Among them, the most common are hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). These viruses can cause fatal and life-threatening diseases. Worldwide, many people are infected with these viruses. Blood safety has made major progress in recent years. Yet, blood-borne viruses continue to be a major concern for patients, physicians, and policymakers. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of HIV, HBV, and HCV in blood donors. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed to assess HIV, HBV, and HCV seropositivity in blood donors. This research was carried out at the blood bank of Sidi Bel Abbes University Hospital. This was a retrospective study based on records of blood donors. All data of 10,386 donors were analyzed from January 2015 to December 2015. Biological screening was performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using antibodies and/or antigens. The combined HCV and HIV antigen and antibody ELISA test was utilized. To confirm the results, the blood bank and the virology laboratory used the same technique in duplicate. Results The overall seroprevalence of blood-borne viral infections (HIV, HBV, and HCV) in blood donors was 0.8%. The prevalence of HIV was found to be 0.1%, while the prevalence of HBV and HCV was 0.4%. Coinfection was rare with only one case of HBV with HIV. There was a significant difference in seroprevalence rates among blood donors compared to the general population. Significant variations were observed between the prevalence of this study and those conducted in West, East, Central, and South African countries but not with those of neighboring North African countries. The study found no association between seropositivity in blood donors and factors like age, gender, donor status, type of donation, or site. Besides, HIV, HBV, or HCV prevalence was not influenced by ABO and Rhesus blood group. Conclusion The study showed that blood donors in Algeria have a lower prevalence of blood-borne viral infections than the general population. The seropositivity rate of viral markers was similar throughout North African countries. This rate remained low compared to other African countries. Residual risk of infection persists. There is a need to increase blood safety for recipients. This report is the first comprehensive overview of blood-borne viruses among Algerian blood donors. There is a need for further nationwide studies to get a whole picture of the situation.

Dynamics of Hepatitis B infection prevention practices among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Lubaga Hospital Kampala, Uganda using the constructs of information-motivation-behavioural skills model

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is considered a significant global public health challenge with infectivity as well as estimated potential for transmission more than 50 to 100 times that of HIV. Over time, numerous empirical studies have shown that majority of HBV-related yearly global deaths are secondary to carcinoma of the liver. It is also known that HBV infected Women have the potential to transmit the infection vertically to their infants during pregnancy. This accounts for the WHO reported 3.16% prevalence among children less than 5 years of age in Uganda. This study assessed the predictors of HBV infection prevention practices among eligible consenting pregnant women using Lubaga health facility for antenatal care (ANC).

METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive study employing quantitative data collection based on the constructs of IMB model was used to capture data on the study variables among 385 randomly selected eligible pregnant women attending antenatal care at Lubaga hospital between September 2020 and October 2020. Data derived from the quantitative instrument was analysed by data reduction and transformation to summaries of descriptive statistics using (SPSS version 26) and regression analysis was performed to establish characteristics of the association between the variables with significance level set as (p < 0.05). Chi-square goodness-of-fit test was employed for significant differences in the proportion of dichotomous responses.

RESULTS

The findings showed that more than half of the respondents (59%) were between the ages of 18 and 28 and majority of them (42.3%) had secondary education. Furthermore, an average but inadequate knowledge ([Formula: see text] 5.97 ± 6.61; B = 0.57; p < .001), positive perception ([Formula: see text] 17.10 ± 18.31; B = 0.97; p = .014) and good behavioural skills ([Formula: see text] 12.39 ± 13.37; B = 0.56; p < .001) for adopting prevention practices all statistically predicted the averagely acceptable level of prevention practices ([Formula: see text] 15.03 ± 16.20) among the study respondents as measured on rating scales of 12, 33, 21 and 30 respectively.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

There were observed gaps in their knowledge about some basic features of the infection like transmission and risk factors as well as some misperceptions about vaccination despite the relatively average score level for both, which is likely to influence their prevention behaviours and predispose them to the risk of the infection if actions are not taken. Therefore, personalized health education is needed during antenatal visits and subsequent health campaign in order to inform better prevention practices among this vulnerable population group.

Predictors of Hepatitis B Virus Infection Vaccine Hesitancy Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care at Lubaga Hospital, Kampala, Uganda

Background

While hepatitis B virus infection may be seen as a global threat within the medical and scientific community, primary prevention via vaccination remains the most effective approach towards breaking the chain of transmission of HBV infection. However, vaccination uptake in Uganda has been modest despite a very endemic national figure resulting from the vertical transmission of this infection. This study assessed the predictors of HBV vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women attending Antenatal clinic in Central Uganda.

Methodology

A hospital-based cross-sectional study employing a five-sectioned pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire was conducted to obtain data from 385 consenting pregnant women. Responses for the antecedent variables were transformed into weighted aggregate scores using SPSS version 26. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to ascertain the predictors of HBV vaccine hesitancy with the cut-off for hypotheses set at 5% level of significance.

Results

The majority of the respondents (59%) were between the ages of 18 and 28 years. Women with secondary educational attainment were predominant (42.3%). The respondents had mean scores of 5.97±6.61, 17.10±18.31, and 12.39±13.37, respectively, computed for knowledge of HBV infection, perception, and behavioral skills towards HBV prevention. Regarding vaccine hesitancy, three-quarters of the women (74%) hesitated to uptake HBV vaccine. While negative significant associations exist between marital status (AOR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.22-1.01), knowledge (AOR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.70-0.89), behavioral skills (AOR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.81-0.95) and vaccine hesitancy, level of education (AOR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.08-3.27) and perception (AOR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.05-1.18) on the other hand, positively predicted vaccine hesitancy.

Conclusion

The findings reported an extremely high degree of HBV vaccine hesitancy among the expectant mothers discovered to be linked with marital status, educational attainment, HBV-specific knowledge, perception and behavioral skills. This necessitates targeted health education for married women with lower educational attainment to improve their knowledge which will in turn shape their perception and behavioral skills towards satisfactory uptake of HBV vaccine.

The prevalence of human immunodeficiency and of hepatitis B viral infections is not increased in patients with sickle cell disease in Tanzania

BACKGROUND

Tanzania ranks as the fourth country in the world with respect to the number of sickle cell disease (SCD) births; it is also endemic to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis B virus (HBV). This study was done to determine the prevalence of HIV and HBV infections among SCD patients in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

METHODS

A multicenter hospital-based descriptive cross sectional study was carried out among participants aged ≥ 16 years with a proven diagnosis of SCD. Socio-demographic and clinical data were recorded. Blood samples were drawn for HIV and HBV diagnosis. All categorical variables were summarized into frequencies.

RESULTS

There were 185/325 (56.9 %) females. The mean age (SD) was 23.0 ± 7.5 years. The prevalence of HIV was 1.8 %; the prevalence of HBV was 1.2 %.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of both HIV and HBV in SCD patients is no greater than in the general population of Dar es Salaam or Tanzania. For associations, a large study would be needed. From a detailed blood transfusion history of SCD patients we found no evidence that HIV or HBV infection was transmitted through blood transfusion.

Prevalence and predictors of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in east Africa: evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies published from 2005 to 2020

BACKGROUND

The epidemiology of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the general population in east Africa is not well documented. In this meta-analysis, we examined 37 full published research articles to synthesise up-to-date data on the prevalence and predictors of the HBV burden for the effective prevention and management of the virus in our region.

METHODS

We examined 37 full published research articles found using PubMed, Scopus, African Journal Online (AJOL), and Google Scholar between May and October 2020. Dichotomous data on HBV prevalence and predictors of infection were extracted from the individual studies. The HBV prevalence, test of proportion, relative risk, and I2 statistics for heterogeneity were calculated using MedCalc software version 19.1.3. Begg's tests was used to test for publication bias. Sources of heterogeneity were analysed through sensitivity analysis, meta-regression, and sub-group analysis at 95% CI. P < 0.05 was considered significant for all analyses.

RESULTS

The prevalence of HBV was generally high (6.025%), with publications from Kenya (8.54%), Uganda (8.454%) and those from between 2011 and 2015 (8.759%) reporting the highest prevalence (P < 0.05). Blood transfusion, scarification, promiscuity, HIV seropositivity, and being male were independent predictors significantly associated with HBV infection (P < 0.05), with the male sex being the most strongly associated predictor of HBV infection. Meta-regressions for the pooled HBV prevalence and sample size, as well as the year of publication, lacked statistical significance (P > 0.05). Omitting the study with the largest sample size slightly increased pooled HBV prevalence to 6.149%, suggesting that the studies are robust. Begg's test showed no evidence of publication bias for overall meta-analysis (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The burden of HBV is still high, with the male sex, blood transfusion, body scarification, and HIV seropositivity being potential predictors of infection. Thus, it is important to scale up control and prevention measures targeting persons at high risk.

Seroprevalence of Transfusion-Transmitted Infections among Voluntary and Replacement Blood Donors at the Peshawar Regional Blood Centre, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Introduction  Blood transfusion is linked to several risks, most notably the transmission of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs), including hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), syphilis, and malaria. The risk posed by these blood-borne infectious agents is high in developing countries, including Pakistan. This fact stresses the need for regular surveillance of TTIs. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to assess the seroprevalence of TTIs at a regional blood center.

Material and Methods  This was a retrospective 4-year descriptive study undertaken at the Regional Blood Centre in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan, on the blood donor data from June 2016 to May 2020. A total of 41,817 donors donated blood during the study period and were screened for HBV, HCV, HIV, syphilis, and malaria. To ensure donor privacy, donors were identified via codes and no personal information was available. The data were extracted from the ZAAVIA blood transfusion information system database.

Results  The study included a total of 41,817 donors—41,493 (99.22%) males and 324 (0.78%) females. Of them, 22,343 (53.43%) were voluntary donors while 19,474 (46.57%) were replacement donors. An overall TTI prevalence rate of 4.61% was found. The TTI prevalence rate in voluntary donors was 3.90% while 5.42% in replacement donors. The overall prevalence of HBV, HCV, HIV, syphilis, and malaria was 1.95, 1.38, 0.23, 0.91, and 0.14%, respectively.

Conclusion  The current study documented a high prevalence (1,929 out of 41,817, 4.61%) of TTIs, especially in replacement donors (1,057 out of 19,474, 5.42%), and low participation of female donors. The recommendations include the promotion of voluntary blood donors, enrolment of female blood donors, and screening of donated blood through highly sensitive screening assay (i.e., nucleic acid testing).

Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Syphilis Among Blood Donors at Western Oromia, Ethiopia

Background

Blood transfusion saves lives and improves health, but many patients requiring transfusion do not have timely access to safe blood. Human immunodeficiency virus and syphilis are the commonest transfused transmitted infections and threats to blood recipients. Proper donor selection and screening of the donated blood for major transfusion-transmitted infections evidently reduced challenge in blood safety. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the sero-prevalence HIV and syphilis infections among blood donors at East Wollega, West Ethiopia.

Patients and Methods

A five-year (from January 2015 to December 2019) retrospective study was conducted by reviewing blood donor laboratory test results from Nekemte blood bank which is serving hospitals in Western Oromia. Blood donor data were analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20 software.

Results

The total of 17,810 individual’s blood was screened during the study period. The overall prevalence of HIV, syphilis, and their co-infection was 222 (1.25%), 142 (0.80%), and 5 (0.03%), respectively. The prevalence of HIV was associated with unmarried (AOR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.5, 5.2), male (AOR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.5, 2.9), and blood donors resident in a rural area (AOR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.5, 5.9). Besides, the prevalence of syphilis was associated with education, age, marital status and residence of study participant.

Conclusion

In the current study, the sero-prevalence of HIV and syphilis among blood donors was low, when it was compared to other sub-Saharan Africa country. However, to ensure the health of all recipients screening blood using standard methods is highly recommended.

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B Infection Among a Population of Blood Donors in the Kpandai District of Northern Ghana: A Five-Year Retrospective Study from 2014 to 2018

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an infectious disease that is specific to the liver, causing both acute and chronic hepatitis. This study determined the trend of HBV infection among blood donors in the Kpandai District Hospital from January 2014 to December 2018. Retrospective analysis of donor profiles for a period of 5 years was used to assess the distribution of seropositive cases in relation to age, sex, and trend. The data was collected using pre-designed questionnaire and managed using Microsoft Excel spread sheet 2013. The overall sero-prevalence of HBV was 8.2% (230/2802). The year to year analysis depicted significant trends in reduction of HBV infection among the study population at a rate of 13 percentage points above the mean from 2014 to 2015, and 4.3 percentage points below the mean from 2016 to 2018 across the period. The prevalence in males was 8.4% (225/2687) and that of the females was 4.4% (5/115) and the highest rate of infection was among those below 30 years 9.8% (163/1666). Although the general prevalence of HBV infection was high (8.2%), there was a significant trend reduction in rate of infection across the study period. This suggests that the public health interventional strategies put in place to manage the HBV infection in Kpandai District seem to be working.

Transfusion-Transmitted Infections and associated risk factors at the Northern Zone Blood Transfusion Center in Tanzania: A study of blood donors between 2017 and 2019

Background

Blood transfusion saves many people every year that would otherwise have died. The present study aimed to provide an update and insightful information regarding prevalence of the common Transfusion-Transmitted Infections (TTIs) and associated factors among blood donors in Tanzania.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study involving retrospectively collected data of blood donors from the Tanzania Northern Zone Blood Transfusion Center between 2017 and 2019. Descriptive statistics were performed to describe characteristics of the blood donors. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine association between prevalence of TTIs and socio-demographic factors. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

A total of 101, 616 blood donors were included in the present study of which 85,053(83.7%) were males while 16,563 (16.3%) were females. Of all participants, the majority 45,400 (44.7%) were aged between 18 and 25 years; 79,582 (78.3%) were voluntary non-remunerated donors while 22,034 (21.7%) were replacement donors. The vast majority of them 99,626 (98%) were first time blood donors while 1990 (2%) were multiple donors. The overall prevalence of TTIs was 10.1% (10,226 out of 101,616) of which the leading was HBV accounting for 5.1% (5,264 out of 101,616). Being a replacement donor was associated with all the four types of TTIs: HIV (AOR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.10–1.35), HBV (AOR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.27–1.44), HCV (AOR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.12–1.46), and syphilis (AOR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.20–1.48).

Conclusions

Our study has demonstrated that Tanzania has relatively high prevalence of TTIs compared to some countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. HBV infection seems to be the most common infection among blood donors and replacement blood donors are at a higher risk of harboring the commonest TTIs among blood donors.

Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Among Blood Donors in Nekemte Blood Bank, Western Oromia, Ethiopia: Retrospective 5 Years Study

Background

Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus are the greatest threats to blood safety for the recipient. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and trends of HBV and HCV infections among blood donors over a period of 5 years at Nekemte blood bank, Ethiopia.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted from January 2015 to December 2019 at Nekemte blood bank. The recorded blood donors' history and laboratory tests were reviewed by data collectors analyzed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20 software. A p-value of less than 0.005 was considered statistically significant.

Results

A total of 17,810 consecutive blood donors were screened between January 2015 and December 2019. The seroprevalence of HBV and HCV was 3.06% and 0.64%, respectively. The prevalence of HBV was significantly associated with male (AOR: 2.51; 95% CI: 1.17, 2.91), unmarried (AOR: 2.81; 95% CI: 1.79, 2.51) and rural (AOR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.17, 3.05) blood donors. The prevalence of HCV was significantly associated with blood donor those were male (AOR: 3.01; 95% CI: 1.17, 3.91), within 45-65 years of age (AOR: 3.56: 95% CI: 1.14, 3.99) and unmarried (AOR: 3.14; 95% CI: 1.65, 3.96).

Conclusion

The current study shows the prevalence of hepatitis B virus was higher among study participants. However, the prevalence of HCV was low compared to the study conducted in other countries in Africa, a substantial percentage of the blood donors harbor HCV infections. Therefore, it is recommended to increase awareness of people (particularly on unmarried, male and rural resident) on modes of transmission and prevention of infection could help in reducing the burden of both HBV and HCV.

Sero-prevalence of transfusion transmittable infections: HIV, Hepatitis B, C and Treponema pallidum and associated factors among blood donors in Ethiopia: A retrospective study

Background

Blood transfusion is a therapeutic procedure that has proven to be effective in saving millions of lives. However, its safety is still a crucial issue that needs due attention. Unsafe blood transfusion is one of the sources of transmission for infectious agents. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the sero-prevalence of Transfusion Transmittable Infections (TTIs) such as Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Treponema pallidum, and associated factors among blood donors in Ethiopia.

Methods

A retrospective cross-sectional study design was used to measure the prevalence of transfusion transmittable infections using data collected from 2014 to 2019 in fourteen blood bank facilities in Ethiopia. Screening of HIV, HBV and HCV was done by using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Presence of Treponema pallidum infection was assessed using rapid plasma reagin (RPR). Records of blood donors were collected using a checklist from Central Blood Bank Laboratory (BBL) electronic database and reviewed. Data was entered, cleaned and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Logistic regression was fitted to identify factors associated with cumulative TTIs positivity, and for each of the transfusion transmittable infection. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Result

A total of 554,954 blood donors in the fourteen blood bank facilities from 2014–2019 was included in the study. The overall sero-prevalence of HBV, Treponema pallidum, HIV and HCV, was 2.4%, 0.9%, 0.4% and 0.4% respectively. The prevalence of TTIs was comparatively higher in 2014, 5.70% and lowest in 2019, 3.40%. The odds of screening HBV in blood donors in age group of 35–39 and 40–44 were 1.2 [1.1, 1.3] and 1.3 [1.1, 1.5] respectively. The odds of screening HCV in blood donors in the age group of 25–34, 35–44 and 45–54 were 1.3 [1.1, 1.5], 1.3 [1.1, 1.7] and 1.7 [1.2, 2.2] respectively. The likelihood of having at least one infection among blood donors was 1.2 [1.1, 1.3] times in male blood donors compared to female. The odds of getting at least one TTI and Treponema pallidum in unemployed blood donors were 2.4 [2.0, 2.8] and 8.1 [6.1, 10.7] respectively. The probability of getting those who have at least one TTIs, HBV and Treponema pallidum were higher in blood donors those who live in Semi Urban and Rural parts of the country than those who live in Urban areas. The odds of having at least one TTI, HBV and HCV in blood donors with mobile mode of blood donation were 1.4 [1.3, 1.6], 1.6 [1.4, 1.8], and 1.6 [1.1, 2.2].

Conclusion

The current magnitudes of TTIs are lower when compared to other previous studies conducted in Ethiopia. Older age, male, occupation, donations from mobile sites, residents of semi urban and rural settings were found to be strongly associated with sero-positivity of TTIs. Hence, strict donor screening and testing particularly taking the above factors into consideration is strongly recommended.

Blood transfusion-transmissible malaria and its cost analysis in Hawassa regional blood bank, Southern Ethiopia

Background:

Blood transfusion is an intervention used to save life particularly for those patients who survive only with receiving blood. Establishing effective diagnostic test menus concerning the screening of transfusion-transmissible infections in the blood banks play a vital role to safeguard recipients from transfusion-transmissible infections.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to assess blood transfusion-transmissible malaria and its screening cost analysis in Hawassa regional blood bank, Hawassa, Sothern Ethiopia.

Methods:

An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2018 among 414 voluntary blood donors. Each participant’s blood sample was screened for most transfusion-transmissible infections using antigen/antibody tests, while rapid diagnostic test and microscopy were used for malaria screening and confirmation. In addition, the cost screening of transfusion-transmissible infections was calculated using activity-based costing method.

Results:

The overall seropositivity of transfusion-transmissible infections was 7.0% and the positivity rate of hepatitis B virus, syphilis, and Plasmodium falciparum was 5.6%, 1.0%, and 0.5%, respectively. The cost per test of each transfusion-transmissible infection was US$5.04 for human immunodeficiency virus, US$4.61 for hepatitis B virus, US$5.11 for hepatitis C virus, and US$4.75 for syphilis, while the cost per test of malaria rapid diagnostic test was US$4.74 and this is comparatively lower than the cost per test of other transfusion-transmissible infections except for hepatitis B virus. In addition, total cost of laboratory incurred for transfusion-transmissible infections screening is estimated to be US$213,634.5 per year, while it becomes US$265,537.5 if the malaria screening cost is added. This means 19.54% of the total cost of laboratory incurred per year or US$51,903.

Conclusion:

The positivity rate of malaria parasites among voluntary blood donors was 0.5%, and it might be increased if the study was conducted in high transmission seasons. A cost of malaria screening is comparatively lower than costs of other transfusion-transmissible infections except for hepatitis B virus. Therefore, the screening of malaria parasites should be considered as one of the test menus of transfusion-transmissible infections in blood banks, especially in malaria-endemic areas.

Prevalence of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus and transfusion-transmissible infections in Tanzanian blood donors

OBJECTIVE

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the causative agent for Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), one of the most common cancers in Tanzania. We have investigated KSHV prevalence and factors associated with KSHV infection in Tanzania.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study of voluntary blood-donors from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Plasma was screened for KSHV, HIV-1, HBV, HCV and Treponema pallidum (syphilis). Associations between KSHV sero-status and risk factors were analyzed. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) are reported to evaluate risk factors of KSHV infection. All tests were 2-tailed, and P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The overall KSHV seroprevalence was 56.9%. Significantly increased risk of KSHV infection was detected in persons from the Lake and Central Zones (OR=6.4, 95% CI=1.6-25.3, P=0.008 and OR=5.7, 95% CI=1.0-32.5, P=0.048 respectively). A trend toward increased risk of KSHV infection with HIV-1 co-infection was not significant (OR=2.8, 95% CI=1.0-8.0, P=0.06). Seroreactivity to T. pallidum was surprisingly high (14.9%).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of KSHV infection and syphilis was high among Tanzanian blood-donors. The most common transfusion-transmissible infections did not associate with KSHV infection. Regions of focal KSHV infection need further investigation for underappreciated risk factors.

Seroprevalence of transfusion transmitted infections in healthy blood donors: A 5-year Tertiary Care Hospital experience

INTRODUCTION:

Transfusion transmitted infections (TTIs) can cause threat to bloody safety as blood transfusion is an important mode of transmission of TTI to the recipient, hence, to prevent transmission of these diseases, screening tests on blood bags is an important step for blood safety.

AIM:

This study was undertaken with the aim of determining the seroprevalence of TTI in healthy blood donors in a tertiary care blood bank.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A retrospective study was carried out over a period of 5 years from January 2007 to December 2011. Serum samples were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Type 1 and 2, hepatitis c virus (HCV) and syphilis using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays with the third generation kits and venereal disease research laboratory test, respectively.

RESULTS:

A total of 76,653 healthy donors were included out of which majority of donors were male (91.79%). The overall seroprevalence of HIV, HBsAg, HCV, and syphilis were 0.26%, 1.30%, 0.25%, and 0.28%, respectively.

CONCLUSION:

Methods to ensure a safety blood supply should be encouraged. For that, screening with a better selection of donors and use of sensitive screening tests including nucleic acid testing technology should be implemented.

Detection of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen among Febrile Patients in Ankpa, Kogi State, Nigeria

Background

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has become a significant public health problem in developing countries, and the high rate of morbidity and mortality from acute and chronic infections is worrisome. Therefore, this study determined the prevalence of HBV and associated risk factors in Ankpa, Kogi State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods. Sera randomly collected from 200 participants in three public hospitals in Ankpa were screened for HBsAg using commercially available HBsAg rapid test kit (Swe-Care (R), China). Structured questionnaires were used to obtain sociodemographic details and history of exposure to risk factors.

Results

Seventeen (8.5%) of the 200 patients were positive for HBsAg. Males had higher prevalence (10.89%) than females (6.06%). The age group with the highest rate of infection was 24–44 years. Patient's occupation and marital status were significantly higher in relation to HBsAg seropositivity. Risks of HBV infection in Ankpa are sharing of sharp objects (OR = 11.62, 95% CI, 3.59–37.59), multiple sexual partners (OR = 3.39, 95% CI, 1.23–9.38), blood transfusion (OR = 13.74, 95% CI, 4.22–44.71), surgeries (OR = 3.02, 95% CI, 1.03–8.83), alcoholism (OR = 6.94, 95% CI, 2.32–20.75), mouth-to-mouth kissing (p=0.001), and contact with HBV patient (OR = 4.14, 95% CI, 1.01–17.06). People without prior knowledge of HBV infection were more infected.

Conclusion

This study reaffirms the endemicity of HBV in a part of sub-Saharan African country. Public health practitioners should focus attention on apparently healthy patients in developing countries. We suggest inclusion of HBsAg screening for patients coming for routine hospital care.

Upscaling prevention, testing and treatment to control hepatitis C as a public health threat in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: A cost-effectiveness model

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis C (HCV) elimination strategies are required for low and middle-income countries (LMICs), because although treatment access is currently limited, this is unlikely to remain the case forever. We estimate and compare the impact, cost and cost-effectiveness of a variety of prevent, test and treat strategies for HCV in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

METHODS

A mathematical model.

RESULTS

Without intervention, the HCV epidemic in Dar es Salaam was estimated to result in US$29.1 million in disease costs between 2018 and 2030. Maintaining existing harm reduction coverage (4% needle and syringe program, 42% opioid substitution therapy) over this period was estimated to prevent 22% of injecting drug use-acquired HCV infections compared to a zero coverage scenario. Implementing antibody/RNA, serum-based HCV core antigen (HCVcAg) and dry blood spot (DBS) HCVcAg test/treat programs among PWID increased the total cost by US$0.7 million, US$3.1 million and US$6.5 million respectively by 2030; however this expenditure led to 57%, 61% and 73% reductions in annual incidence among PWID, 25%, 27% and 33% reductions overall annual incidence (PWID+non-PWID), and reduced HCV prevalence among PWID from 27% to 9%, 8% and 5%, respectively. The Ab/RNA, serum-based and DBS HCVcAg test/treat programs cost US$689, US$2857 and US$5400 per disability-adjusted life year averted, respectively, compared to no test/treat program.

CONCLUSION

Primary prevention among PWID can provide important reductions in HCV transmission in the absence of treatment availability. HCV Ab/RNA or serum-based HCVcAg test/treat programs among PWID are likely to be cost-effective in Dar es Salaam, with serum-based HCVcAg test/treat achieving greater impact due to a simpler diagnostic process and better retention in care. If used for regular testing of PWID, the additional coverage benefits of non-laboratory-based DBS HCVcAg tests in LMICs would outweigh their reduced sensitivity.

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.

Seroprevalence of transfusion transmissible viral infections (HIV, HBV and HCV) among voluntary blood donors at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Gondar; Northwest Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus are among the greatest threats to blood safety for the recipient. They are also the leading cause of death, chronic and life-threatening abnormalities. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the Sero-prevalence of HIV, Hepatitis B and C virus among blood donors at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital.

METHODS

A retrospective cross-sectional study was used to estimate the seroprevalence of HIV, Hepatitis B and C virus among blood donors at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from May-July 2018. Screening of HIV, HBV, and HCV was done by using the Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay. Records of 5983 first time blood donors were collected and reviewed by using a checklist from registration book. Data was entered in statistical package EP Info version 3.5.1, and data cleaned and analyzed using the statistical package SPSS version 16.0.

RESULTS

Of 5983 blood donors, 85.5% (5118/5983) donors were males and 14.5% (865/5983) were females. The median age was 27 years and the highest blood donations age category was between 20 to 51.2% (29/5983) followed by 30 to 39 years of age, 21.6% (1295/5983). The prevalence of HIV, HBV and HCV infections were 2.5% (95% CI: 1.07-2.398), 4.1% (95% CI: 0.461-1.053) and 1.6% (95% CI: 0.845-3.354), respectively. HIV infection was significantly associated with gender (p = 0.021, x^{2 =} 5.358) and HCV infection with age group (p = 0.003, x² = 17.673). Of all donated blood, 8.2% (489/5983) had serological evidence for at least one of the screened pathogens and 58 (0.96%) of them had multiple infections.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed a significant prevalence of HIV, HBV, and HCV among blood donors, 2.5% (147/5983), 4.1% (244/5983) and 1.6% (98/5983), respectively. Therefore, strict selection of blood donors with an emphasis on getting voluntary blood donors, and highly sensitive and specific tests for screening of blood donors for HIV, HBV, and HCV using standard methods are highly recommended to ensure the safety of blood for the recipient.

Seroprevalence and trend of human immunodeficiency virus among blood donors in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Blood transfusion is one of the routine therapeutic interventions in hospitals that can be lifesaving. However, this intervention is related to several transfusion-related infections. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the major public health problems associated with blood transfusion. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to estimate seroprevalence and trend of human immunodeficiency virus among blood donors in Ethiopia.

METHODS

Studies on the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus among blood donors published until 2017 were accessed by conducting a detailed search on PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, EMBASE and CINAHL databases using the keywords:-"Seroprevalence" AND "trend" AND "HIV" OR "human" AND "immunodeficiency" AND "virus" OR "human immunodeficiency virus" AND "blood donors" OR "blood donors" OR "Ethiopia". The quality of each article was assessed using a modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Meta-analysis was carried out using a random-effects method. All statistical analyses were done using STATA version 11 software.

RESULT

The estimated pooled seroprevalence of human immunodeficiency virus among blood donors in Ethiopia was 2.69% (95% CI (1.79-3.58%)). The overall seroprevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infection showed a significant decline trend from 2004 to 2016.

CONCLUSION

The overall seroprevalence of human immunodeficiency virus among blood donors in Ethiopia was high. Routine screening of donor blood for transfusion-transmissible infections is essential for ensuring the safety of blood transfusion.

Prevalence and Trends of Major Transfusion Transmissible Infections among Blood Donors in Dire Dawa Blood bank, Eastern Ethiopia: Retrospective Study

Background

Acquisition of transfusion transmissible infections in the process of therapeutic blood transfusion is a major global health challenge in transfusion medicine. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and trends of major transfusion transmissible infections among blood donors.

Method

A retrospective analysis of consecutive blood donors' records covering the period between July 2010 and June 2013 was conducted at Dire Dawa Blood Bank, Eastern Ethiopia.

Result

A total of 6376 blood donors were tested, out of which 5647(88.57%) were replacement donors and 729(11.43%) were voluntary donors. The majority of them were male, 5430(85.16%), and aged between 18–32 years, 4492(70.45%). A total of 450(7.06%) donors had serological evidence of infection with at least one pathogen. The overall positivity rates of HBV, HIV, HCV and syphilis were 4.67%, 1.24%, 0.96%, and 0.44% respectively. Trends for transfusion-transmissible infections showed a significant decrease from 9.51% in 2010 to 6.95% in 2013 with the least prevalence in 2012 (5.90%) (P = 0.004). The prevalence of transfusion transmissible infections was significantly higher among male blood donors compared to female donors, among the age group of 25–32 years and 33–40 years compared to the age group of 18–24 years old, and among unemployed and private workers compared to students.

Conclusion

A significant percentage of the blood donors harbor transfusion-transmissible infections. Stringent donor selection using standard methods is highly recommended to ensure the safety of blood for the recipient. Furthermore, efforts on motivating and creating awareness in the community are required to increase voluntary blood donors.

Assessment of Blood Donation and Transfusion in Eastern Uganda: A Mixed-Methods Study

BACKGROUND

Blood and blood products are essential in the management of injuries, medical illnesses, and childbirth. Chronic shortages in the blood supply perpetuates the high levels of morbidity and mortality from injury and treatable diseases. Patients in low- and middle-income countries are frequently unable to access blood units necessary for transfusion in a timely manner.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to gain insight into the community and hospital factors that contribute to the observed insufficient supply of blood units available for transfusion at a regional referral hospital in rural Eastern Uganda.

METHODS

A mixed-methods approach was utilized; community members were surveyed on knowledge, attitudes, and practices of blood donation and health professionals were queried on hospital factors affecting blood transfusions. Transfusion records were prospectively collected and analyzed, and the pathway of a single blood unit was observed and recorded.

FINDINGS

Among the 82 community members that were surveyed, knowledge was poor (&lt;50% correct) regarding age, weight, and volume of blood to be able to donate, but participants were overall knowledgeable on general characteristics that would exclude individuals from donating blood. Major themes elicited during qualitative interviews included a positive attitude towards and lack of information regarding blood donation. Health professionals expressed frustration in delayed testing of transfusion transmissible infections. The majority of blood transfusions were allocated to female patients (55.8%) and children under five years of age (33.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

Broadened inclusion and education of the general population in blood donation and increased outreach programs may be promising interventions to increase the blood supply at the Soroti Regional Referral Hospital. To reduce the current bottleneck seen in TTI testing, the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of local TTI testing technology should be investigated further.

Sero-prevalence and trends of transfusion-transmissible infections among blood donors at Bahir Dar district blood bank, northwest Ethiopia: A four year retrospective study

Background

Blood transfusion is an effective treatment for saving millions of lives even though transfusion- transmissible infections are the major problem. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the sero-prevalence and trend of transfusion-transmissible infections among blood donors.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted form July 2014 to June 2018 at Bahir Dar district blood bank. Descriptive statistics was presented using percentages, medians and interquartile ranges. Logistic regression was used to explore risk factors associated with each transfusion transmissible infections.

Result

From a total of 35,435 blood donors 2130 (6.0%) of them had serological evidence for at least one infection and 50 (0.14%) of them were confirmed as having multiple infections. The overall sero-prevalence of HBV, HCV, HIV and syphilis was 230 (6.0%) with 3.9%, 0.6%, 0.5% and 1.2% respectively. From those who had co-infection majority of them 22 (44.0%) were attributed to HBV-Syphilis co-infection and 1 (2.0%) study participant was co-infected with HBV-HIV- Syphilis infection. There was an increment in the overall prevalence of transfusion-transmissible infection;183 in 2014/2015 to 624 in 2017/2018. The sero-prevalence of HBV show a significant increment tend with respect to year of donation. On the other hand HCV and HIV sero-prevalence show an increasing trend from 2014 and decrease in 2018. The sero-prevalence of syphilis was 67 (1.3%) in 2015 and duplicate in 2016, 138 (1.5) but subsequently decrease to 110 (1.1%) in 2017 and in 2018 it was 114 (1.0%).

Conclusion and recommendations

His finding showed growing evidence in the burden of transfusion-transmissible infection in blood donors despite which requires advanced and vigilance screening of donated blood prior to transfusion. More over there should be strategies for monitoring the implementation of post donation counseling for recruitment and retention of safe regular donors.

Seroprevalence of transfusion transmitted infections among blood donors in Gash Barka Zonal Blood Transfusion Center, Barentu, Eritrea, 2014 through 2017

Background

Transfusion-transmissible infections pose a major health risk in developing countries, including Eritrea. In the present study, we sought to determine the prevalence of specific transfusion transmitted infections (TTIs) and the associated risk factors among blood donors at a newly established regional blood transfusion center in Barentu, Eritrea.

Methods

The seroprevalence of markers for specific TTIs by sex, age, educational status, residence, occupation, and donor type was evaluated for donors who donated blood between July 2014 and April 2017. The relationship between TTIs and the stated factors was evaluated using the Pearson Chi-square test/Fishers exact test. Adjusted and unadjusted binary logistic regression models were employed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the occurrence of TTIs. A two-sided p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Result

A total of 1939 donors were included in this study. Majority of the donors were males (88.2%), urban residents (68.8%), greater than 25 years of age (67%), and family replacement blood donors (FRBD) (59.7%). Two hundred and fifty (12.9%) donors were infected by at least one TTI. The cumulative seroprevalence of Human immunodeficiency virus, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus and syphilis were 16 (0.8%), 97 (5%), 13 (0.7%) and 140 (7.2%), respectively. Out of the total 266 infected donors, the prevalence of co-infection was 16 (0.8%). In the adjusted model, the OR and 95% CI for the seropositivity for any TTI associated with age, no formal education, elementary school educational level, and junior school educational level were 1.02 (95% CI: 1.01–1.04), 4.4 (95% CI: 2.58–7.49), 2.67 (95% CI: 1.49–4.80), and 2.00 (95% CI: 1.14–3.52), respectively. In addition, blood from FRBD had an increased likelihood of contamination with at least one TTI, with an OR (95% CI) of 1.56 (1.10–2.21).

Conclusion

The prevalence of transfusion-transmissible infections is relatively high. In particular, specific groups in the population appear to be disproportionally affected. Therefore, targeted sensitization campaigns should be implemented in the future.

Trends of blood-borne infectious diseases in a rural blood donation center of southeast Gabon (Koula-Moutou)

Introduction

Blood-borne pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C (HBV and HCV) viruses and Treponema pallidum remain a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency and clinical implications of HIV, HBV, HCV and Treponema pallidum markers in blood donors in a rural area of Southeast Gabon (Koula-Moutou) from 2012 to 2017.

Methods

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HIV, anti-HCV and anti-Treponema pallidum antibodies were screened using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs).

Results

Of a total of 5,706 blood donors, 1,054 (18.5%) were seropositive for at least one infectious marker and 59 (5.6%) had serologic evidence of multiple infections. The overall seroprevalence of HIV, HBsAg, HCV, and syphilis was 3.1%; 5.9%; 6.2% and 3.3%, respectively. HIV, syphilis and HCV distributions were associated with neither the sex nor the age of the donors. Only HBsAg seroprevalence was significantly higher in donors of the age group 26-35 years old compared to donors of the age group 36-45 years (OR = 1.43 (95% CI: 1.01-2.04), P = 0.045). There was a significant increase in the frequencies of HIV and syphilis and a regression of HBsAg and HCV among blood donors.

Conclusion

This study presents the epidemiology of the main pathogens detected in blood donors in a rural area in Gabon. We found that the overall distribution of transfusion transmitted infectious diseases were lower than those observed in the general population but could be underestimated due to the use of RDTs in the screening process of the blood donations.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus infection and associated factors among healthcare workers in northern Tanzania

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis B virus infection is a global health problem with the highest prevalence in East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of infected people, including healthcare workers are unaware of their status. This study is aimed to determining seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus infection and associated factors among healthcare workers in northern Tanzania.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 442 healthcare workers (HCWs) from a tertiary and teaching hospital in Tanzania before the nationwide hepatitis B vaccination campaign in 2004. Questionnaire- based interviews were used to obtain detailed histories of the following: demographic characteristics; occupation risks such splash and needle stick injuries or other invasive procedure such as intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous injections; history of blood transfusion and surgeries, as well as HCWs'knowledge of HBV. Serological markers of HBV were done using Laborex HBsAg rapid test. Serology was done at zero months and repeated after six months ( bioscienceinternational.co.ke/rapid-test-laborex.html HBsAg Piazzale-milano-2, Italy [Accessed on November 2017]). Chi-square (χ²) tests were used to compare proportion of HBV infection by different HCWs characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with HBV infection.

RESULTS

A total of 450 surveys were sent out, with a 98.2% response rate. Among the 442 HCWs who answered the questionnaire, the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus infection was 5.7% (25/442). Only 50 (11.3%) of HCWs were aware of the HBV status. During the second HBsAg testing which was done after six months one participant sero-converted hence was excluded. Adjusted for other factors, history of blood transfusion significantly increased the odds of HBV infection (OR = 21.44, 95%CI 6.05, 76.01, p < 0.001) while HBV vaccine uptake was protective against HBV infection (OR = 0.06, 95%CI 0.02, 0.26, p < 0.001). The majority of HCWs with chronic HBV infection had poor to fare knowledge about HBV infection but this was not statistically significant when controlled for confounding.

CONCLUSIONS

Prevalence of HBV among health care workers was 5.7% which is similar to national prevalence. Although the response rate to take part in the study was good but knowledge on HBV infection among HCWs was unsatisfactory. History of blood transfusion increased risks while vaccine uptake decreased the risk of HBV infection. This study recommends continues vaccinating HCWs together with continues medical education all over the country. We also recommend documentation of vaccination evidence should be asked before employment of HCWs in order to sensitize more uptakes of vaccinations. Although we didn't assess the use of personal protective equipment but we encourage HCWs to abide strictly on universal protections against nosocomial infections.

Seroprevalence and trends of transfusion transmitted infections at Harar blood bank in Harari regional state, Eastern Ethiopia: eight years retrospective study

BACKGROUND

The use of unscreened blood exposes the patient to many transfusion transmitted infections including Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and syphilis, among others. Thus, blood transfusion demands for meticulous pre-transfusion testing and screening. Trends of transfusion transmitted infections are important to take appropriate measures on blood bank services. Therefore the aim of this study was to assess seroprevalence and trends of transfusion transmitted infections at Harar blood bank in Harari regional state, Eastern Ethiopia from 2008 to 2015.

METHODS

A retrospective cross-sectional study was employed to review blood donors' history and laboratory tests records from November 16-December 31, 2017. All records of blood donors having vividly documented history and laboratory tests were reviewed by data collectors. All data were entered into EPI data version 3.1. It was exported and analyzed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16 soft ware.

RESULT

A total of 11, 382 blood donors' history and laboratory tests records were reviewed. Majority of them were males (82.6%), 57.6 % were in the age group of 17 to 25 years and 99.9% donors donated blood for the first time. The overall seroprevalence of transfusion transmitted infections (HBV, HIV, HCV and syphilis combined) was found to be 6.6%. The prevalence of HBV, HIV, HCV and syphilis were found to be 4.4%, 0.6%, 0.8% and 1.1%, respectively. The trend in prevalence of syphilis and HCV was statistical significant by year (p< 0.05). Those donors in the age group of 26-35 years (AOR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.2,3.6), 36-45 years (AOR: 4.1; 95% CI: 2.4,7.1) and greater than 46 years (AOR:4.6; 95% CI: 2.3,9.1) were more likely to be infected with syphilis compared to the age group of 17-25 years. Male were more likely to be infected with HBV (AOR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.4, 2.5) than females.

CONCLUSIONS

The magnitude of transfusion transmitted infections was lower than the previous studies conducted in Ethiopia. However, the decline in trends of transfusion transmitted infections has not been significant for some pathogens. Therefore, strict adherence with the criteria of preliminary blood donor selection should be implemented to reduce the amount of blood being withdrawn from transfusion after collection and screening.

The Prevalence and Trends of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV among Voluntary Blood Donors in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Transfusion Center, Southwestern Iran

BACKGROUND

Transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs) are a common complication of blood transfusion. Evaluation and monitoring the prevalence rate of TTIs in blood donors is a valuable indicator of donor selection and blood safety. We analyzed the trends of these infections among blood donors at Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad transfusion service (KBTC) during 10 years.

METHODS

Viral screening and confirmatory tests were carried out on 180304 voluntary donations from 2005-2014. The annual prevalence rates of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV infections per 100000 donations and 95% confidence interval were calculated. Chi-square test was applied to obtain the P-value.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence was 0.13% for HBV and 0.06% for HCV while there were only three positive cases for HIV. The annual trend fluctuated during the time period studied. Compared to first-time donors, regular and repeat donors were significantly less likely to be positive for these infections. Outstandingly, this study provides first data in TTIs seropositivity rates among blood donors in our region; surprisingly were lower compared to other reports of Iran.

CONCLUSION

The trends of TTIs prevalence in this study provide additional evidence that safety measures employed by the KBTC have been effective in maintaining a safe blood supply. The lower prevalence of TTIs in our study compared with other Iranian studies and also the general population reflects the efficacy of donor selection and education procedures in KBTC.

Seroprevalence of transfusion-transmissible infections among blood donors at National Blood Transfusion Service, Eritrea: a seven-year retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Blood transfusion is associated with several risks particularly exposure to blood transfusion-transmissible infections (TTI), including: Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Syphilis, among others. The threat posed by these blood-borne pathogens is disproportionately high in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This fact underscores the need for continuous surveillance of TTIs in the region. Therefore, the study objectives were to evaluate the prevalence of TTIs and donor characteristics associated with positivity for TTIs at the National Blood Transfusion Center (NBTC) in Asmara, Eritrea.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of blood donors' records covering the period from January 2010 to December 2016 was undertaken. The records were analyzed to evaluate the annualised cumulative prevalence of TTIs. Chi-square test (χ2) or Fisher's exact test was used to evaluate the relationship between serological positivity and particular donor characteristics. Logistic regression was fitted to identify factors associated with cumulative TTIs positivity. A P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULT

A total of 60,236 consecutive blood donors were screened between 2010 and 2016. At least 3.6% of donated blood was positive for at least one TTI and 0.1% showed evidence of multiple infections. The sero-prevalence of HBV, HCV, HIV, syphilis and co-infection was 2.0, 0.7, 0.3 and 0.6%, respectively. Sex, type of donor and region were associated with TTI positivity. Except for donation frequency, there was a significant relationship (P < 0.005) between HBV, HCV, HIV and syphilis sero-positivity and other donor characteristics evaluated in the study.

CONCLUSION

The result demonstrates that Eritrea has relatively low TTI prevalence compared to other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the prevalence, particularly that of HCV, increased significantly in 2016. Enhancing donor screening and additional research utilizing nucleic acid based techniques should therefore be prioritized.

Human immunodeficiency virus infection predictors and genetic diversity of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus co-infections among drug users in three major Kenyan cities

Background

Drug users act as reservoirs and transmission channels for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections to the general population worldwide. Periodic epidemiological studies to monitor the prevalence and genetic diversity of these infections to inform on interventions are limited.

Objective of the study

The objective of this study was to determine the predictors of HIV infection and genetic diversity of HBV and HCV among drug users in Kenya.

Materials and methods

A cross-sectional study on previous drug use history among drug users was conducted in three Kenyan cities using a respondent-driven sampling method between January 2011 and September 2012. Blood samples were collected and analysed for the presence of HBV, HCV and HIV serological markers and to determine the genotypes of HBV and HCV.

Results

The overall prevalence of HBV, HCV and HIV among drug users was 4.3%, 6.5% and 11.1%, respectively, with evidence of HBV/HIV, HCV/HIV and HBV/HCV/HIV co-infections. The HBV circulating genotypes were A1 (69%) and D6 (19%), whereas HCV genotypes were 1a (72%) and 4a (22%). Injection drug use was a significant predictor of HIV/HCV infections. Younger age (30 years; aOR (adjusted odds ratio) = 0.50, 95% CI (confidence interval): 0.33–0.76; p < 0.001) and early sexual debut (aOR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.40–0.82; p < 0.05) were negatively associated with detection of any of the three infections. Injecting drug use was positively associated with HCV infection (aOR = 5.37, 95% CI: 2.61–11.06; p < 0.001).

Conclusion

This high level of genetic diversity exhibited by HBV and HCV isolates requires urgent implementation of harm reduction strategies and continuous monitoring for effective management of the patients.

Proportion and predictors of transfusion-transmissible infections among blood donors in North Shewa Zone, Central North Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) pose a significant challenge for the availability and safety of blood transfusion. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors for TTIs among blood donors in North Shewa zone, central North Ethiopia.

METHODS

A retrospective survey of blood donors' medical records was conducted from April 2014 to June 2017 to assess the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and syphilis infections. Descriptive statistics such as percentage, median and interquartile range were used to summarize the data.

RESULTS

Out of 8460 donations, 207 (2.4%, 95% CI 2.06-2.71%) had serological evidence of infection with at least one pathogen. Four of the blood donors (0.047%) had co-infection with more than one pathogen; 2HIV/HBV and 2HIV/syphilis. The overall prevalence of HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis among the donors were 1.2% (95% CI 0.98-1.45%), 0.32% (95% CI 0.2-0.44%), 0.25% (95% CI 0.14-0.35%), and 0.71% (95% CI 0.53-0.89%) respectively. Male sex was significantly associated with higher risk of HBV (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.1-2.8) and syphilis sero-reactivity (OR 4.5, 95% CI1.9-10.5). Farmers and older donors were found to be at a higher risk for syphilis seropositivity.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of TTIs among blood donors in North Shewa zone was relatively low compared to those of other geographic places in Ethiopia. However, TTIs remain a concern for the availability and safety of blood transfusion as they are still prevalent in the study area. Therefore, more efforts are required to ensure the safety of blood supply and transfusions.

Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Tanzania: Current Status and Challenges

Hepatitis B is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world with high prevalence in most of sub-Saharan Africa countries. The complexity in its diagnosis and treatment poses a significant management challenge in the resource-limited settings including Tanzania, where most of the tests and drugs are either unavailable or unaffordable. This mini review aims at demonstrating the current status of the disease in the country and discussing the concomitant challenges in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

Hepatitis B vaccination coverage among healthcare workers at national hospital in Tanzania: how much, who and why?

Background

Hepatitis B vaccination for healthcare workers (HCWs) is a key component of the WHO Hepatitis B Elimination Strategy 2016–2021. Data on current hepatitis B vaccine coverage among health care workers in Sub-Saharan Africa are scarce, but these data are vital for effective programming. We assessed the proportion of HCWs vaccinated for hepatitis B and the factors associated with adequate vaccination coverage at a national hospital in Tanzania.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among consenting healthcare workers between 30th July and 30th September 2015. Vaccination histories were obtained through self-administered questionnaires. Means and proportions were used to summarize the data. Student’s t and chi-squared tests were used as appropriate. Logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with vaccination.

Results

A total of 348 HCWs were interviewed, of whom 198 (56.9%) had received at least one dose of hepatitis B vaccination, while only 117 (33.6%) were fully vaccinated. About half of the 81 HCWs with partial vaccination (49.4%) had missed their subsequent vaccination appointments. Among unvaccinated HCWs, 14 (9.3%) had either HBV infection or antibodies against HBV infection upon pre-vaccination screening. However, the remaining participants were not vaccinated and did not know their immune status against HBV.

Nearly all respondents (347, 99.3%) had heard about the hepatitis B viral vaccine. The following reasons for non-vaccination were given: 98 (65.3%) reported that they had not been offered the vaccine; 70 (46.7%) observed standard precautions to ensure infection prevention and 60 (41.3%) blamed a low level of awareness regarding the availability of the hepatitis B vaccine.

Conclusion

The current vaccination coverage among practicing healthcare workers at Muhimbili National Hospital is low, despite a high level of awareness and the acceptance of the vaccine. Expedited and concerted efforts to scale vaccine uptake should include improved access to the vaccine, especially for newly recruited HCWs. The extension of the study to private healthcare settings and lower-level facilities would be useful.

ABO and Rhesus blood group distribution and frequency among blood donors at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center, Moshi, Tanzania

Objective

This study aims to determine the distribution of blood groups and the demographic background of blood donors in a referral hospital in Northern Tanzania.

Results

The most common blood group was O (52.3%) and the least common was AB (3.18%). 97.7% of the blood donors were Rh positive and the rest were Rh negative. Most donors were young adults, representing the age group of 19–29. The majority of donors were male (88.1%) and the majority (90.8%) were replacement while the remainder was voluntary donors.

The prevalence of hepatitis B virus among HIV-positive patients at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre Referral Hospital, Northern Tanzania

Introduction

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus are prevalent infections in sub-Saharan Africa, but information on the prevalence of co-infection is limited. This study aimed to determine seroprevalence and risk factors for hepatitis B virus infection among people living with HIV receiving care and treatment at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre Referral Hospital in northern Tanzania.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study conducted from March to June 2015 among people living with HIV (PLWHIV) aged 15 years and above attending the Care and Treatment Clinic for routine care at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre. Systematic sampling was used to select the study participants. Information on socio-demographic data, sexual behaviour and medical history were collected using a questionnaire. Hepatitis B surface antigen was diagnosed using a rapid test. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data.

Results

A total of 300 PLWHIV consented to participate in this study, of whom 62% were female. Their ages ranged from 15-75 years, with a median age of 46 years (IQR of 39-53 years). The seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen among people living with HIV was 2.3% (n=7/300). A history of blood transfusion was the only factor associated with hepatitis B surface antigen infection, while other socio-demographic and clinical factors showed no association.

Conclusion

Hepatitis B virus infection is infrequent among PLWHIV in this setting. Despite the prevalence, we recommend routine screening for hepatitis B surface antigen and other hepatitis B virus markers among PLWHIV in order to tailor antiretroviral regimens against hepatitis B virus.

Co-infection of Schistosoma mansoni/hepatitis C virus and their associated factors among adult individuals living in fishing villages, north-western Tanzania

BACKGROUND

Schistosoma mansoni and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) are co-existence in sub-Saharan Africa and co-infection is common among humans population. The immunological responses characterized with Th₂-immune responses for S. mansoni and Th₁-immune responses for HCV are responsible for development hepatic morbidities in infected individuals. However, the co-occurrences of S. mansoni and HCV infection, their related ultrasound detectable morbidities and associated risk factors at community levels have not been examined in fishing communities, north-western Tanzania. In this context, the present study covers that gap.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1924 asymptomatic individuals aged 15-55 years in four fishing villages (Igombe, Igalagala, Sangabuye and Kayenze) of Northwestern Tanzania. A single stool sample was collected from each study participants and examined for S. mansoni eggs using Kato Katz technique. Hepatitis C surface antigen (HCVsAg) was determined from a finger prick blood sample using a rapid test.

RESULTS

Overall, 51.8% (997/1924; 95%CI: 49.6-54.1) of the study participants were infected with S. mansoni and had a mean intensity of 223.7epg (95%; 202.4-247.1). Of the study participants, 90 (4.7%) were infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Overall, 2. 4% (47/1924) of the study participants were co-infected with S. mansoni and hepatitis C virus. Among the co-infected individuals, 42.6%, 70.2% and 19.1% had splenomegaly, hepatomegaly and periportal fibrosis (PPF). Factors associated with S. mansoni/HCV co-infection were being aged 26-35 years (aRR = 2.67, 95%CI: 1.03-6.93, P < 0.04), 46-55 years (aRR = 2.89, 95%CI: 1.10-7.57, P < 0.03) and having marked hepatomegaly (aRR = 2.32, 95%CI: 1.09-4.9, P < 0.03).

CONCLUSION

In this setting, S. mansoni and Hepatitis C are co-endemic and a proportion of individuals were co-infected. Hepatosplenic morbidities characterized with hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, hepatosplenomegaly and PPF were observed in co-infected individuals. These results highlight the need for integrated interventions measures against parasitic and viral diseases.

Estimation of seroprevalence of HIV, hepatitis B and C virus and syphilis among blood donors in the hospital of Aïoun, Mauritania

Introduction

To estimating the seroprevalence of HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis among blood donors in the Aïoun hospital.

Methods

This is a retrospective study from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2015.

Results

On the five-year study period, 1,123 donors were collected. Of these, 182 were HIV-positive, an overall prevalence of 16.2% with predominance in male with a sex ratio Man/Woman of 5.2. The average age of donors was 32.7 ± 10 years (range 17-73 years). The most represented that age group 21-30 years (40.5%). The seroprevalence found were 1.2% for HIV, 11.8% for HBV, HCV 0.2% and 3% for syphilis. Co-infection was found in 0.7% of which 0.5% of dual HIV HBV/Syphilis and 0.2% in HBV/HIV.

Conclusion

The transmission of infectious agents related to transfusion represents the greatest threat to transfusion safety of the recipient. Therefore, a rigorous selection and screening of blood donors are highly recommended to ensure blood safety for the recipient.

HIV-Sero-prevalence trend among blood donors in North East Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Although blood transfusion is one of the known therapeutic interventions that cuts across a number of clinical disciplines. It is necessary to test all intending blood donors for HIV infection before donation. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HIV among blood donors at Dessie Blood Bank, Northeast Ethiopia.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted in Dessie Blood Bank through the year 2008-2012. Sera from blood donors were tested for the detection of Anti HIV by using 4th generation ELISA. Data were abstracted from records and analyzed using Microsoft Excel sheet.

RESULTS

From the total of 9384 screened blood samples collected, the prevalence of HIV in blood donors in the blood bank was 5.1% in the five consecutive years but the trend of HIV infection has decreased from 2008(5.2%) to 2012 (2.3%). The age groups 15-24 and 35-44 were the highest prevalence and the age group 45-54 was the lowest prevalence of HIV infection. The prevalence of HIV among female (7.9%) was higher than in male donors (4.4%). The trend of HIV infection was decreasing for both male and female blood donors.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of HIV infections among blood donors is still high in this study setting, and needs constant monitoring to evaluate prevention and control strategies to reduce the burden of transfusion-transmissible HIV infections.

Transfusion-transmissible viral infections among blood donors at the North Gondar district blood bank, northwest Ethiopia: A three year retrospective study

Background

Transfusion-transmissible viral infections, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), remain a major public health problem in developing countries. The prevalence of these viral infections among blood donors may reflect the burden of these diseases among populations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the sero-prevalence of transfusion-transmissible viral infections among blood donors.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted using data obtained from registration books of blood donors from the Ethiopian North Gondar District Blood Bank from 2010 to 2012. Descriptive statistics, such as percentages, medians and interquartile ranges were computed. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with each viral infection. The odds ratio with a 99% confidence interval was calculated. A p-value < 0.01 was considered statistically significant.

Result

A total of 6,471 blood donors were included in the study. Of these, 5,311 (82.1%) were male, and 382 (5.9%) were voluntary blood donors. Overall, 424 (6.55%) of the blood donors were sero-reactive for at least one transfusion-transmissible viral infection. Of all study participants, 233 (3.6%) were sero-reactive for HBV, 145 (2.24%) were sero-reactive for HIV, and 51 (0.8%) were sero-reactive for HCV. Four (0.062%) of the study’s participants were co-infected: 3 (75%) with HBV-HCV and 1 (25%) with HIV-HBV-HCV. Being a farmer, unemployed or employed donor was significantly associated with transfusion-transmissible viral infections compared to being a student donor.

Conclusion

The prevalence of transfusion-transmissible viral infections is substantial and has increased overtime. Hence, it demands more vigilance in routine screening of donated blood prior to transfusion. Further community-based studies to identify societal risk factors are necessary.

High sero-prevalence of hepatitis B virus and human immunodeficiency virus infections among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at Temeke municipal health facilities, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: a cross sectional study

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in pregnancy is associated with direct effect of pregnancy and potential viral transmission from mother to newborn. In Tanzania very little in known on prevalence of HBV infection and their associated factors among pregnant women in lower health facilities. The main objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of HBsAg, HIV and HBV-HIV co-infection among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Dar es Salaam.

METHODS

This cross sectional study was conducted in three Temeke municipal health-care facilities between May 2014 and June 2014. A total of 249 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic (ANC) were consecutively enrolled in the study. A data collection tool was used to extract socio-demographic characteristics from ANC card. Commercial ARCHITECT® ci4100™ was used to assess HBsAg status and liver function (Alanine amino-transferase (ALAT). HIV status was determined by anti-HIV antibody test.

RESULTS

Of 249 pregnant women enrolled the median age was 25 years (IQR 22-30) and most of them were married (72.4%). The overall prevalence of HBsAg and HIV were 8.03% (95% CI: 5.0-12.1%) and 17.2% (95% CI: 12.8-22.5%), respectively. HBV/HIV co-infection rate was 2.8% (95% CI; 1.3-5.4%). HBsAg positive rate was significantly high in women who were HIV positive (p < 0.05). Being employed /student were less associated with HBV infection (aOR 0.35, 95% CI 0.13-0.95). Only 3 (15%) of pregnant women with HBsAg positive had abnormal ALAT.

CONCLUSIONS

High prevalence of HBV and HIV infections among pregnant women were reported in this setting thus calls for the national expansion of the integration of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services for HBV infection.

Understanding the magnitude of occupational exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and uptake of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis among healthcare workers in a rural district in Tanzania

BACKGROUND

Occupational exposure to blood or other body fluids in healthcare settings puts healthcare workers (HCWs) at risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. It is estimated that between 200 and 5000 HIV infections are transmitted annually to HCWs worldwide. Use of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) has been documented to reduce the rate of HIV infection from workplace exposures by 81%.

AIM

To investigate the extent of occupational exposure to HIV infection during the period of 12 months before the survey and to identify factors associated with uptake of PEP services among HCWs.

METHODS

We interviewed 221 HCWs from selected healthcare facilities in Kongwa, Tanzania. Data included occupational exposures to body fluids, knowledge and use of PEP.

FINDINGS

Sixty (27.1%) of the HCWs had experienced exposures to blood and body fluids, of whom 71.7% (43/60) had needlestick injuries. Medical attendants were more frequently exposed, followed by nurses (31.7% and 28.6% respectively). Of the exposed HCWs, seven (11.7%) reported use of HIV PEP. Reporting of exposure [odds ratio (OR): 8.44; P = 0.016], knowledge of the HIV status of the source patient (OR: 42.19; P = 0.007) and awareness of PEP (OR: 12.72; P = 0.010) were significant predictors of PEP use.

CONCLUSION

Uptake of PEP services among HCWs remains low despite high rate of occupational exposures. Wider dissemination of HIV PEP guidelines and training of HCWs is required in Tanzania to ensure that HCWs have knowledge of, and prompt access to, PEP services.

Prevalence of Syphilis among Blood and Stem Cell Donors in Saudi Arabia: An Institutional Experience

INTRODUCTION

Syphilis is one of the known transfusion-transmissible infections and causes 100,000 deaths yearly, with around 90% of these deaths occurring in the developing world. Little data is available regarding the prevalence of syphilis among Saudi blood and stem cell donors. We conducted a survey on the incidence of syphilis among all blood and stem cell donors.

METHODS

This study was conducted at the Prince Sultan Military Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in the 10 years period data during 2006-2015. Data were analyzed about full history, physical examination, age, sex, weight, profession, marital status, number of the donations, data of last donation, having a relation who received blood transfusion, as well as the screening test results of the donated blood. We determined the seroprevalence of infection and compared by sex and other variable through frequency analysis, Chi square, Fisher, and prevalence ratios.

RESULTS

Approximately 240,000 blood donors were screened and studied in the period of study. Most of the blood donors were male (98.3%) and 89% of them were citizens of Saudi Arabia. According to our findings, we estimated that, in the last 10 years, approximately 0.044% of all the blood donors were syphilis positive cases. No cases were detected as positive for syphilis among stem cell donors. Only 60 blood donors tested positive for syphilis. In addition, we studied 202 stem cell transplant donors during the same period, of which 59% were male and none texted positive for syphilis.

CONCLUSIONS

A concerted effort between the government, health care providers, regulatory bodies and accreditation agencies have all contributed in eliminating the risk of spreading syphilis among blood donors.

Prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus antibody among pregnant women and blood donors at Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria

Hepatitis C virus is one of the emerging infectious diseases that can be transmitted through blood-to-blood contact. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies among potential blood donors and pregnant women attending Bowen University Teaching Hospital (BUTH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State. This hospital-based study was conducted from December 2014 to September 2015. The study group (N = 279) included potential blood donors and pregnant women. Data on socio-demographic characteristics and potential risk factors were collected using a structured questionnaire. The presence of anti-HCV antibodies in serum samples of the studied subjects were detected using third-generation Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) (WKEA Med Supplies Corp, China). Chisquare test was utilized to assess the association between the socio-demographic variables and HCV status. Logistic regression was done to determine the strength of association between risk factors and HCV status. Statistical significance was set at P ˂ 0.05. Overall seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus infection was found to be 1.79% consisting 0.36% of pregnant women and 1.43% of blood donors. None of the socio-demographic characteristics and potential risk factors among the study groups were significantly associated with hepatitis C virus infection. This study found a seroprevalence of anti-HCV antibody to be 1.79%, thus, screening of pregnant women and blood donors for HCV infections with the use of ELISA is recommended because of its important role in detecting the presence of anti-HCV antibody with utmost specificity and sensitivity.

Family donors are critical and legitimate in developing countries

INTRODUCTION

For many years, family blood donors have been considered less safe than volunteer non-remunerated blood donors and actively discouraged by international organisations and affluent countries support agencies for developing countries. In addition to safety, pressure and coercion was considered unethical. However these assumptions were not supported by evidence.

AIMS OF THE STUDY

To assemble recently collected evidence to reopen the assessment whether or not the ban of family blood donors is justified.

METHODS

Review of old and recent literature through Pubmed and references from identified articles.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Viral marker data comparing confirmed seroprevalence in 1(st) time volunteer non-remunerated donors (VNRD) and family/replacement donors (FRD) corrected for gender and age, show no significant difference between the two groups. Evidence has been provided that for both VNRD and FAD benevolence is more appropriate than altruism. The two groups merge for psychological attitude to donation for which knowing someone needing transfusion is a powerful incentive to give blood. Excluding a life or death situation found in areas where severe blood shortage justifies replacement donation, pressures are exerted on both VNRD and FRD. There is no evidence of coercion of FRD. FRDs therefore meet all criteria for VNRD and are willing to become VNRD and to repeat donation. Ostracising FRD is illegitimate and damaging to the blood supply in resource poor areas. In some countries no difference is made between the two groups of donors representing similar populations asked to give blood in different circumstances.

CONCLUSIONS

FRDs remain a critical source of volunteer, non-remunerated, blood meeting all classical criteria of VNRD that should be considered legitimate and indispensable at this point in time instead of discouraged.

Malaria and blood transfusion: major issues of blood safety in malaria-endemic countries and strategies for mitigating the risk of Plasmodium parasites

Malaria inflicts humankind over centuries, and it remains as a major threat to both clinical medicine and public health worldwide. Though hemotherapy is a life-sustaining modality, it continues to be a possible source of disease transmission. Hence, hemovigilance is a matter of grave concern in the malaria-prone third-world countries. In order to pursue an effective research on hemovigilance, a comprehensive search has been conducted by using the premier academic-scientific databases, WHO documents, and English-language search engines. One hundred two appropriate articles were chosen for data extraction, with a particular reference to emerging pathogens transmitted through blood transfusion, specifically malaria. Blood donation screening is done through microscopic examination and immunological assays to improve the safety of blood products by detection major blood-borne pathogens, viz., HIV, HBV, HCV, syphilis, and malarial parasites. Transfusion therapy significantly dwindles the preventable morbidity and mortality attributed to various illnesses and diseases, particularly AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Examination of thick and thin blood smears are performed to detect positivity and to identify the Plasmodium species, respectively. However, all of these existing diagnostic tools have their own limitations in terms of sensitivity, specificity, cost-effectiveness, and lack of resources and skilled personnel. Globally, despite the mandate need of screening blood and its components according to the blood-establishment protocols, it is seldom practiced in the low-income/poverty-stricken settings. In addition, each and every single phase of transfusion chain carries sizable inherent risks from donors to recipients. Interestingly, opportunities also lie ahead to enhance the safety of blood-supply chain and patients. It can be achieved through sustainable blood-management strategies like (1) appropriate usage of precise diagnostic tools/techniques, (2) promoting hemovigilance system, and (3) adopting novel processes of inactivation technology. Furthermore, selection of the zero-risk donors could pave the way to build a transmissible malaria-free world in the near future.