Prevalence and Factors Associated with Parvovirus B19 Infection among Blood Donors: A Hospital‑Based Study in South‑West, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Parvovirus B19 (B19V) is a transfusion transmissible infection that can result in severe consequences in vulnerable population that includes pregnant women, immunocompromised and chronic hemolytic anemia patients. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with B19V infection amongst blood donors in South–West Nigeria.

Materials and Methods: We conducted a comparative cross‑sectional study to determine the seroprevalence of B19V immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody among 183 blood donors at the blood bank of a tertiary hospital. The results were analyzed with SPSS 23 software, prevalence and associated factors were determined using frequencies and logistic regression, respectively.

Results: The prevalence of B19V IgM was 7.1% (95% confidence interval: 4–11) with a higher prevalence among male donors compared to females (84.6% vs. 15.4%, P = 0.54). There was a statistically significant difference in the seropositivity of B19V IgM amongst the ethnic groups with the Yoruba ethnic group having a higher proportion of B19V IgM‑positive participants P = 0.04. Ethnicity, gender, and steady employment were also associated with increased odds of infection, while increasing age appeared to be protective; though none of these factors were statistically significant.

Conclusion: This study has shown that there is still high exposure to transfusion transmissible B19V infection.

Keywords: Blood donor, parvovirus immunoglobulin M antibody, sickle cell anaemia