The serological status of Solomon Island blood donors

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• The serological status of blood donors in the Solomon Islands was investigated in 1995.
• Focus was on the seroprevalence of antibodies to Hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) and associated risk factors.
• Previous HIV screening of donors yielded no positive cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the seroprevalence of Hepatitis B and C antibodies in Solomon Island blood donors.
• To identify risk factors associated with these chronic infections.
• To assess the reliability of third-generation HCV EIA antibody tests in this population.

Main Methods:

• Serum samples from 598 blood donors were collected and tested for HCV antibodies using EIA and RIBA, with PCR for confirmation.
• Hepatitis B infection markers (HBsAg, anti-HBc antibody) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were assessed.
• Questionnaires collected data on risk factors; syphilis (TPHA, RPR) and HTLV-1 antibodies were also tested.

Main Results:

• 36 samples (6.0%) were positive for HCV antibodies by EIA, but only 3 were RIBA positive and none PCR positive, suggesting high false-positive rates.
• Hepatitis B infection was highly prevalent: 25.1% were HBsAg positive, and 84.4% had anti-HBc antibodies.
• Syphilis markers were detected in 15.4% (TPHA) and 5.4% (RPR ≥1), and 12.3% showed indeterminate HTLV-1 results.

Conclusions:

• Third-generation HCV EIA antibody tests likely produce frequent false positives in this region, consistent with studies from malaria-prone areas.
• High prevalence rates of Hepatitis B virus (HBV), yaws, and syphilis infections were demonstrated in the donor population.
• Further investigation is needed to confirm the accuracy of serological tests and understand the epidemiology of these infections in the Solomon Islands.