Seroprevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, and Treponema pallidum Infections among Blood Donors on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea

• Published in: PloS one 2015-10, Vol.10 (10), p.e0139947-e0139947
• Main Authors: Xie, Dong-De, Li, Jian, Chen, Jiang-Tao, Eyi, Urbano Monsuy, Matesa, Rocio Apicante, Obono, Maximo Miko Ondo, Ehapo, Carlos Sala, Yang, Li-Ye, Yang, Hui, Yang, Hui-Tian, Lin, Min
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Bacterial infections; Blood; Blood & organ donations; Blood banks; Blood donation; Blood Donors; Blood transfusion; Blood transfusions; Bloodborne diseases; Diagnosis; Epidemiology; Equatorial Guinea - epidemiology; Female; Health aspects; Hematology; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B - epidemiology; Hepatitis C; HIV; HIV Infections - epidemiology; Hospitals; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Male; Mass Screening; Medical aid; Medical laboratories; Medical records; Middle Aged; Neighborhoods; Population density; Prevalence; Prevalence studies (Epidemiology); Retrospective Studies; Risk factors; Rural areas; Screening; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Serology; Syphilis - epidemiology; Transfusion; Treponema pallidum; Tropical diseases; Viral infections; Viruses; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139947

Regular screening of transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs), such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus (HBV and HCV, respectively), and Treponema pallidum, in blood donors is essential to guaranteeing clinical transfusion safety. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of four TTIs among blood donors on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea (EG). A retrospective survey of blood donors from January 2011 to April 2013 was conducted to assess the presence of HIV, HBV, HCV and T. pallidum. The medical records were analyzed to verify the seroprevalence of these TTIs among blood donations stratified by gender, age and geographical region. Of the total 2937 consecutive blood donors, 1098 (37.39%) had a minimum of one TTI and 185 (6.29%) harbored co-infections. The general seroprevalence of HIV, HBV, HCV and T. pallidum were 7.83%, 10.01%, 3.71% and 21.51%, respectively. The most frequent TTI co-infections were HBV-T. pallidum 60 (2.04%) and HIV-T. pallidum 46 (1.57%). The seroprevalence of HIV, HBV, HCV and T. pallidum were highest among blood donors 38 to 47 years, 18 to 27 years and ≥ 48 years age, respectively (P