Seroprevalence & changing trends of transfusion-transmitted infections amongst blood donors in a Regional Blood Transfusion Centre in north India

• Published in: Indian journal of medical research (New Delhi, India : 1994) India : 1994), 2017-11, Vol.146 (5), p.642-645
• Main Authors: Rawat, Akanksha, Diwaker, Preeti, Gogoi, Priyanka, Singh, Bharat
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antigens; Blood & organ donations; Blood Donors; Blood Safety; Blood Transfusion; Blood transfusions; Complications and side effects; Cross infection; Distribution; Forecasts and trends; Health care; Hepacivirus - pathogenicity; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B - blood; Hepatitis B - epidemiology; Hepatitis B - transmission; Hepatitis B virus - pathogenicity; Hepatitis C - blood; Hepatitis C - epidemiology; Hepatitis C - transmission; HIV; HIV - pathogenicity; HIV Infections - blood; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - transmission; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; India - epidemiology; Infections; Malaria; Malaria - blood; Malaria - epidemiology; Malaria - transmission; Original; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Studies; Syphilis; Syphilis - blood; Syphilis - epidemiology; Syphilis - transmission; Transfusion Reaction - blood; Transfusion Reaction - epidemiology; Transfusion Reaction - microbiology; Trends; Viruses
• ISSN: 0971-5916
• DOI: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_468_15

Background & objectives: Transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) are the major problem associated with blood transfusion. Accurate estimates of risk of TTIs are essential for monitoring the safety of blood supply. The present study was undertaken to determine the percentage of voluntary donors (VDs) and replacement donors (RDs) and also, to estimate and compare the seroprevalence and changing trends of TTIs amongst VDs and RDs in a regional blood transfusion centre in north India. Methods: This retrospective study was based on the records of all voluntary and replacement donations which were collected from January 2008 to December 2014 in a Regional Blood Transfusion Centre placed in a tertiary care hospital in Delhi, India. Results: Of the total 220,482 donations, 163,540 (74.17%) were voluntary and 56,942 (25.83%) were replacement donation. The overall seroprevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), syphilis and malaria were 0.32, 1.61, 0.73, 1.62 and 0.06 per cent, respectively. Furthermore, the TTIs were more frequently encountered in RDs in comparison to VDs. Interpretation & conclusions: The increase in public awareness regarding voluntary blood donation, meticulous donor screening, counselling and use of highly sensitive tests can help in reducing the risk of TTIs.