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Trends in the incidence of Hepatitis B, C and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among Blood Donors in a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria
Abstract
Background: There have been various claims of reduction in the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus and other transfusion transmissible viruses in the general population following various interventions including public awareness campaigns, provision of facilities for voluntary counselling and testing, programmes for prevention of mother to child transmission and provision of antiretroviral drugs to people living with HIV/AIDS. How has these interventions affected the incidence of the transfusion transmissible viruses among blood donors? This study aims at identifying the trends in the incidence of seropositivity of hepatitis B, C and human immunodeficiency virus among blood donors in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.
Method: Blood bank records of intending blood donors who were screened for hepatitis B, C and anti HIV antibodies for the years 2004 to 2008 were retrieved and analysed.
Results: A total of fifty five thousand four hundred and seventy five (55,475) intending blood donors were screened for Hepatitis B surface antigen and antibodies to HCV and HIV. HBsAg screening constituted the most frequently screened for evidence of transfusion transmissible viruses (n=26,559; 47.9%), closely followed by HIV (n=15,569; 28.0%) and the least is HCV (n=13,347; 24.1%). HBsAg seropositivity has the
highest incidence for all the years under review with mean incidence of 14.9%. This is followed by HIV seropositivity with mean incidence of 6.4% and the least is HCV with mean incidence of 6.1%.
Conclusion: The trend in the incidence of seropositivity of hepatitis B and HIV among blood donors is fluctuating without any sign of sustained decline. Only hepatitis C seropositivity shows a downward trend. More intervention in public awareness campaigns on the need to abstain from high risk behaviours and improvement in screening facilities are required.
Method: Blood bank records of intending blood donors who were screened for hepatitis B, C and anti HIV antibodies for the years 2004 to 2008 were retrieved and analysed.
Results: A total of fifty five thousand four hundred and seventy five (55,475) intending blood donors were screened for Hepatitis B surface antigen and antibodies to HCV and HIV. HBsAg screening constituted the most frequently screened for evidence of transfusion transmissible viruses (n=26,559; 47.9%), closely followed by HIV (n=15,569; 28.0%) and the least is HCV (n=13,347; 24.1%). HBsAg seropositivity has the
highest incidence for all the years under review with mean incidence of 14.9%. This is followed by HIV seropositivity with mean incidence of 6.4% and the least is HCV with mean incidence of 6.1%.
Conclusion: The trend in the incidence of seropositivity of hepatitis B and HIV among blood donors is fluctuating without any sign of sustained decline. Only hepatitis C seropositivity shows a downward trend. More intervention in public awareness campaigns on the need to abstain from high risk behaviours and improvement in screening facilities are required.
