Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Transfusion-transmitted Infections among Blood Donors in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan: A Single-Center Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Although the highly prophylactic precautions and measures for keeping safe blood transfusions, transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) still constitute a remarkably significant risk in medicine. Few documents recorded the situation of TTIs in Dera Ismail khan (D.I. Khan) district, Pakistan so this study aimed to assess the prevalence of TTIs among blood donors in the district, to update and enhance the management of a secure blood supply.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at the Regional Blood Centre in D.I. Khan, encompassing all eligible blood donors over three months. Screening for hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, and syphilis was performed by using chemiluminescence immunoassay, while malaria parasite testing was performed by immunochromatographic technique.

Results: The results revealed that a total of 1221 people had attended the Regional Blood Center in D.I. Khan for blood donation. Only 1129 (92.46%) individuals were permitted to be screened as pre-donation scanning measures for TTIs, while the rest had medical histories that prevented them from donating. Out of 1129, eight (0.7%) were only females, and 1121 (99.29%) were males. The majority of donors, 550 (48.9%), were aged 30 years or younger. The number of voluntary donors, 87 (7.7%), was lower than the number of professional paid donors, 1042 (92.3%). The prevalence of TTIs among all donors was 60 (5.31%). The prevalence of syphilis, HBV, HCV, HIV, and malaria were 1.94%, 1.50%, 1.32%, 0.35%, and 0.17%, respectively. The infection rates among positive donors were notable for syphilis 22 (36.66%), hepatitis B 17 (28.0%), hepatitis C 15 (25.0%), HIV 4 (6.66%), and malaria 2 (3.33%). Professional paid donors showed slightly higher rates of TTIs 57 (5.47%) than that among voluntary donors 3 (3.44%).

Conclusion: The study reflected the high prevalence of TTIs among blood donors in D. I. Khan, Pakistan. It also emphasized the role of blood screening, where the most prevalent TTIs were syphilis, HBV, HCV, HIV, and malaria. Encouraging voluntary blood donors and health education provide the community with safer blood with a higher quality.