Prevalence of transfusion-transmitted infections in Saudi Arabia blood donors: A nationwide, cross-sectional study

• Published in: Saudi medical journal Vol. 43; no. 12; pp. 1363 - 1372
• Main Authors: Alsughayyir, Jawaher, Almalki, Yasser, Alburayk, Imtinan, Alalshaik, Mohrah, Aljoni, Ibrahim, Kandel, Mona, Alfhili, Mohammad A, Alabdullateef, Abdulmajeed A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Saudi Arabia Saudi Medical Journal 01-12-2022
• Subjects: Blood Donors; Blood transfusion; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demographic aspects; Health aspects; Hepacivirus; Hepatitis B - diagnosis; Hepatitis B - epidemiology; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis C - epidemiology; HIV Infections - epidemiology; Humans; Infection; Prevalence; Risk factors; Saudi Arabia - epidemiology; Syphilis - epidemiology; Transfusion Reaction - epidemiology; Saudi Arabia; Saudi Arabia; transfusion-transmitted infection; hepatitis; blood bank; demographic
• ISSN: 0379-5284; 1658-3175
• DOI: 10.15537/smj.2022.43.12.20220634

To establish a nationwide epidemiological profile of transfusion-transmittable infection (TTI) markers among seemingly healthy blood donors to update policies required to ensure blood safety.
A nationwide, cross-sectional study was designed to examine donor demographics and TTI prevalence during 2020 using data provided by the Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia.
Collectively, a total of 375,218 whole blood units were donated, of which 32,758 (8.7%) were excluded due to TTI-related risk. The exclusion was based on a positive nucleic acid amplification test (NAT) or seroreactivity to hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV-I/II), syphilis, or malaria. Notably, the central (37.6%) and southern (33%) regions were the epicenters of TTI-reactive blood donors. Hepatitis B virus markers accounted for 85.7% and were the overall most prevalent of TTI-positive donations, followed by HCV at 5.9% and syphilis at 5.6%. In particular, anti-HBc and HBsAg were most prevalent in the south, while HBV NAT was highest in the center.
Hepatitis B virus, HCV, and syphilis carry the greatest risk of TTI in Saudi Arabia. Including HBsAg screening is a necessary precautious measure to maintain blood safety.