Seroprevalence of transfusion transmitted infections among blood donors in Gash Barka Zonal Blood Transfusion Center, Barentu, Eritrea, 2014 through 2017.

Background: Transfusion-transmissible infections pose a major health risk in developing countries, including Eritrea. In the present study, we sought to determine the prevalence of specific transfusion transmitted infections (TTIs) and the associated risk factors among blood donors at a newly established regional blood transfusion center in Barentu, Eritrea.

Methods: The seroprevalence of markers for specific TTIs by sex, age, educational status, residence, occupation, and donor type was evaluated for donors who donated blood between July 2014 and April 2017. The relationship between TTIs and the stated factors was evaluated using the Pearson Chi-square test/Fishers exact test. Adjusted and unadjusted binary logistic regression models were employed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the occurrence of TTIs. A two-sided p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Result: A total of 1939 donors were included in this study. Majority of the donors were males (88.2%), urban residents (68.8%), greater than 25 years of age (67%), and family replacement blood donors (FRBD) (59.7%). Two hundred and fifty (12.9%) donors were infected by at least one TTI. The cumulative seroprevalence of Human immunodeficiency virus, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus and syphilis were 16 (0.8%), 97 (5%), 13 (0.7%) and 140 (7.2%), respectively. Out of the total 266 infected donors, the prevalence of co-infection was 16 (0.8%). In the adjusted model, the OR and 95% CI for the seropositivity for any TTI associated with age, no formal education, elementary school educational level, and junior school educational level were 1.02 (95% CI: 1.01-1.04), 4.4 (95% CI: 2.58-7.49), 2.67 (95% CI: 1.49-4.80), and 2.00 (95% CI: 1.14-3.52), respectively. In addition, blood from FRBD had an increased likelihood of contamination with at least one TTI, with an OR (95% CI) of 1.56 (1.10-2.21).

Conclusion: The prevalence of transfusion-transmissible infections is relatively high. In particular, specific groups in the population appear to be disproportionally affected. Therefore, targeted sensitization campaigns should be implemented in the future.