The Seroprevalence of Transfusion-Transmissible Pathogens: A Retrospective Study in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Background: Blood transfusion is a vital medical intervention which has over the years, saved a lot of lives worldwide. However, uncertainties over the safety of blood for transfusion remains a major public health concern across sub-Saharan Africa particularly, Nigeria. The inadequacies of national blood transfusion policies and related factors have contributed to making blood for transfusion unsafe. Blood meant to save lives, may thus become vehicles for dissemination of transfusion transmissible pathogens such as hepatitis B virus HBV, hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis. This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of transfusion transmissible pathogens among blood donors in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Methodology: This is a retrospective cross sectional descriptive study involving a review of laboratory records of 554 blood donors at Diagnostix and Scientifique Research Laboratories, Port Harcourt, Nigeria between January 2019 and December 2022. It involved the extraction of relevant data including age, gender, category of donor and the results of the screening tests for hepatis B virus, hepatitis C virus, Human immunodeficiency virus and syphilis.

Results: The overall seroprevalence of the transfusion transmissible pathogens as observed in this study was 11.7%. The seroprevalence for males was 11.9% and that for females was 7.2%. The highest seroprevalence for the age groups was observed with the >40 age bracket (25.5%), the least was 18-25 (7.0%), Among the categories of donors, the Commercial (Paid) donors had a prevalence of 12.2%, Family (Replacement) Donors (7.1%) and Voluntary, (Unpaid Donors) 16.3%. The prevalence of HBV was 6.0%, HCV 0.7% HIV 4,0% and syphilis 1.1%.

Conclusion: The prevalence rates observed in the pathogens are unacceptable. Blood for transfusion must meet the highest standards of safety and everyone has to contribute towards ensuring that blood for transfusion is made to be safer.