Hepatitis C virus infection in blood donors in Santa Catarina, Brazil, 2010-2020.

Introduction: Hepatitis C is a silent disease characterised by a persistent inflammatory process in the liver. Since blood is the main route of transmission, the objective of this study was to estimate the positivity rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in blood donations from the Public Blood Network of the State of Santa Catarina and to analyse the temporal trend and spatial distribution of cases between 2010 and 2020.

Methods: This historical cohort study included blood donors who tested positive for HCV and donated blood at the service between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2020.

Results: Out of a total of 1 316 605 blood donations, 782 new samples tested positive for HCV, corresponding to an overall positivity rate of 59.4 per 100 000 donations. The majority of HCV-positive donors were adults, male, of white skin colour, married, and had at least a secondary education. Most HCV-positive cases were found in the South and Coastal Regions of Santa Catarina, although municipalities with high positivity rates were observed across all macro-regions of the state.

Conclusions: The HCV positivity rate in blood donations from the Public Blood Network of the State of Santa Catarina demonstrated a downward trend over time, while maintaining sociodemographic characteristics similar to those reported in other regional studies. Furthermore, although HCV cases were reported in all macro-regions, the highest positivity rates occurred in the South, Alto Vale do Itajaí, Meio Oeste, Serra Catarinense, and Grande Oeste regions.