Prevalence of Dengue virus among healthy blood donors in Mombasa County, Kenya

Abstract

Introduction: Dengue fever (DF) is a viral infection caused by a flavivirus called Dengue virus. The virus has four known serotypes  (named DENV 1-4) that circulate between humans and Aedes mosquitoes throughout the tropical region of the world. The virus is  transmitted primarily by the bite of an infected Aedes aegyptior, to a lesser extent, Aedes albopictus. Current evidence from published case studies shows that blood transfusions can transmit Dengue infection in hyperendemic regions in the tropics. It is important to note  that 75% of people infected with DENV show no symptoms. Therefore, an infected individual could be accepted as a blood donor and  spread the disease. In Kenya, frequent Dengue outbreaks have been reported in the coastal counties of Mombasa, Kilifi, and Kwale in  recent years. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of Dengue virus among blood donors in a selected endemic region of the Republic of Kenya.

Methods: the researchers used a cross-sectional research design to collect data from blood donors in two selected  counties in Kenya in 2023. A self-directed questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic data and risk factors associated with  Dengue fever from consenting participants. Additionally, a 5-ml sample of blood was collected and serologically analyzed for anti-Dengue  IgG, IgM, and NS1 using a commercial rapid Dengue testing duo kit (Bioline™ DENGUE DUO (Dengue NS1 Ag + IgG/IgM)). The  data were summarized and presented using tables and bar graphs.

Results: at the end of the study, the researchers recruited 103 participants from the selected study sites in Mombasa County. Most of the research participants were men between 20 and 30 years of age. The prevalence of Dengue virus seromarkers was 24%, 11%, and 2% for IgG, IgM, and NS1, respectively. These were detected among  young adult donors between the ages of 20 and 30 years. Statistically, there was an association between anti-Dengue IgM positivity with  a history of admission (p-value = 0.0015), fever in the last 6 months (p-value = 0.0015) and a history of living with a victim of DF in the last  6 months (p-value = 0.011). Similarly, there was a statistically significant association between anti-Dengue IgG positivity and length of stay  in Mombasa County (p-value = 0.005), history of admission in the last 6 months (p-value =0.003), history of fever in the last 6 months  (p-value = 0.004) and lived with a victim of Dengue fever in the last 6 months (p-value = 0.02) in a 95% confidence interval.

Conclusion: according to the findings of our study, blood donors in Mombasa are susceptible to infection by the Dengue virus, some possibly carrying  the virus without showing symptoms. The study identified IgG and IgM as the most prevalent serological markers. To protect  blood recipients in Mombasa County and other Dengue-endemic counties such as Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, and Taita Taveta, it is recommended  that blood donors in these regions undergo regular screening, particularly during Dengue outbreaks.