Sero-prevalence of syphilis and assessment of haemoparasites among prospective blood donors at a tertiary hospital in Calabar, Southern Nigeria.

Abstract

The prevalence of haemoparasites among blood donors in the studied area has not been previously documented. This study determined the prevalence of syphilis and haemoparasitic infections among blood donors in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study involving 200 consenting blood donors. Samples were processed using the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) screening technique for the detection of Treponema pallidum antibodies. Screening for microfilaria was conducted using Knott's concentration technique. Thick and thin blood films stained with 3% Giemsa solution were examined to confirm the presence of malaria parasites. All the 200 blood donors harboured trophozoites of Plasmodium falciparum, with low parasite counts per millilitre of blood. One hundred and thirteen (56.5%) blood donors had microfilaria Loa. 21(10.5%) blood donors were positive for antibodies homologous to T. pallidum antigens. Mixed infections of P. falciparum + Microfilaria; P. falciparum + Microfilaria + T. pallidum and Microfilaria + T. pallidum occurred at the prevalence rates of 50%, 16.5% and 4%, respectively. The prevalence of haemoparasites was higher among male blood donors than in their female counterparts. The most prevalent infection based on the frequency of blood donation was the malaria parasite (45.5%). Among the first-time blood donors, the most prevalent infections were malaria (54.5%) and Loa loa (24.5%). This study has shown a significantly (p < 0.05) high prevalence of malaria parasite and Loa loa infection in the studied group, it also showed malaria parasite and Loa loa as the major haemoparasites found among blood donors in the health institution studied.