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Anti HCV seroprevalence among the voluntary blood donors in Thailand
1Faculty of Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. wviroj@yahoo.com
Insights
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening in Thai blood donors found 1.37% seropositivity. This highlights the need for national HCV testing strategies in Thailand and other developing Asian nations to ensure blood safety.
Area of Science:
- * Public Health
- * Infectious Diseases
- * Virology
Background:
- * Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection poses a significant global health challenge, linked to severe morbidity and mortality, including liver cancer.
- * Prevention strategies include screening donated blood for anti-HCV antibodies, yet implementation varies significantly worldwide, particularly between resource-rich and resource-poor nations.
- * In Asia, high HCV prevalence, especially among vulnerable populations, is compounded by limited resources for routine blood screening in many developing countries.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To review and summarize the prevalence of anti-HCV seropositivity among voluntary blood donors in Thailand based on existing literature.
- * To assess the implications of these findings for blood transfusion safety and public health strategies in the region.
Main Methods:
- * A literature review was conducted to identify studies reporting anti-HCV seropositivity data in voluntary blood donors in Thailand.
- * Data from five selected reports, encompassing a total of 39,633 voluntary blood donors, were analyzed.
Main Results:
- * A total of 541 cases of anti-HCV seropositivity were identified across the reviewed studies.
- * The summative prevalence of anti-HCV seropositivity among voluntary blood donors in Thailand was calculated to be 1.37%.
- * This prevalence rate is comparable to high levels reported in other Asian countries, underscoring the regional significance of HCV infection.
Conclusions:
- * The 1.37% anti-HCV seropositivity rate among Thai blood donors indicates a substantial public health concern.
- * Enhanced donor screening protocols are crucial for improving blood transfusion services in Thailand and other developing nations.
- * Implementing national strategies for universal anti-HCV serology screening in all blood banks is strongly recommended.
Abstract:
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an increasing problem, affecting large numbers of the population in both the developed and the developing parts of the world. It is generally accepted as a significant public health problem with major associated morbidities and mortalities, in particular hepatocellular carcinoma. One of several strategies for prevention of HCV transmission is screening for anti HCV serology among donated blood in the blood bank. However, screening for HCV infection varies considerably throughout the world; differences between resource-poor and resource-rich countries are particularly pronounced. This is a particular problem in the developing countries in Asia where HCV infection has high prevalence, this is especially the case among the underprivileged populations and those countries are usually less able to afford routine HCV serological screening in blood bank. In Thailand, HCV infection is an important infectious disease. However, screening for anti HCV serology is performed in only a few large blood banks. The purpose of this study is to summarize the prevalence of Anti HCV seropositivity among the voluntary blood donors in the previous reports in Thailand. This review identified 5 reports in the literature reporting data in 39,633 documented voluntary donors. In all there were 541 cases with Anti HCV seropositivity. The summative percentage for Anti HCV seropositive was 1.37%. This rate is similar to the high levels reported previously from many other Asian countries, implying the importance of HCV infection in Asia. Thorough donor screening to eliminate high-risk donors is recommended to improve blood transfusion services in Thailand and other developing countries and screening for Anti HCV serology should be set as the national strategies covering all blood banks.
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History
The history of blood transfusion dates back to the 17th century, when early attempts were made in animals. In 1818 James Blundell, a British doctor, performed the first successful human blood transfusion. Later in 1900, Karl...