Prevalence of Transfusion Transmissible Infections among Blood Donors in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Mysuru District – A Six Years Study

Introduction: Blood transfusion remains a substantial source of transmissible infection in India. The prevalence of transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs) like Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), syphilis and malaria in blood donation is important for evaluating blood safety and potential risks to the population.

Aims: To determine the prevalence of HIV, HBV, HCV, syphilis and malaria among blood donors in a tertiary care hospital.

Study Design: A retrospective review of donor record over a period of 6 years between 2009 to 2014 was done at the regional blood transfusion centre (RBTC) in a tertiary care hospital of Mysuru, Karnataka, India.

Methodology: A total of 50,279 healthy donors were screened for HIV, HBV, HCV, syphilis and malaria. Screening for HIV, HBV and HCV was done by ELISA. Screening for syphilis and malaria was done by Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) method and rapid immunochromatographic test respectively.

Results: Among 50,279 donors screened, 768 (1.52%) were positive for the TTI. The overall prevalence of HIV, HBV, HCV and syphilis among the blood donors in the present study was 0.26%, 0.96%, 0.15% and 0.13% respectively. No blood donor showed positivity for malarial parasite. Majority of seropositive donors (43.35%) were in the age group of 26 to 35 years followed by 27.60% in 18 to 25 years age group.

Conclusion: The prevalence of TTIs among blood donors in Mysuru district was 1.52% with male dominated donor pool. Continuous improvement and implementation of strict donor selection criteria, sensitive screening tests and establishment of strict guidelines for blood transfusion can ensure the elimination, or at least reduction, of the risk of acquiring transfusion transmitted infections.