Seroprevalence of transfusion-transmissible infections among blood donors in two hospital-based transfusion centers in Lagos, South-West Nigeria: A five-year review

Abstract

Transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) pose a significant public health concern, particularly in Sub-Saharan African countries like Nigeria with high disease burden. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of TTIs among blood donors in hospital-based transfusion centres in Lagos, South-West Nigeria. A retrospective study of blood donation data between January 2017 and December 2021 from two hospital-based transfusion centers in Lagos was conducted. Serological tests for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and syphilis were performed using standard laboratory protocols. A total of 19,741 blood donors were included in the study. The overall prevalence of TTIs was found to be 9.30%, with 6.37%, 0.72%, 1.82%, and 0.38% for HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis respectively. The prevalence of HBV was noticed to have an upward trend during the study period. Higher prevalence rates were observed among males compared to female blood donors (9.37% versus 7.79%) and within the 35-46 age groups. There is a significant burden of TTIs among blood donors in Lagos hence the importance of stringent screening protocols and targeted interventions to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmissible infections.