Prevalence of Transfusion-Transmissible Infections Among Voluntary Blood Donors in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background Transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) pose a significant risk to blood transfusion safety, especially in low-resource settings. TTIs include infections such as HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), syphilis, and malaria. Over four years, this study assesses the seroprevalence of TTIs among voluntary blood donors at a tertiary care center. Materials and methods This retrospective observational study was conducted at the blood bank of a tertiary care center from June 2019 to December 2022. A total of 4639 voluntary blood donors were screened for TTIs, including HIV, HBV, HCV, syphilis, and malaria, using third-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits and rapid diagnostic tests. The data were analyzed to evaluate the seroprevalence of each infection and its trends over the study period. Results The overall prevalence of TTIs among the 4639 donors was 68 (1.46%). The highest seroprevalence was observed for HBV, with 33 (0.71%), followed by syphilis with 22 (0.47%), HIV with nine (0.19%), and HCV with four (0.08%). No cases of malaria were detected. The prevalence of TTIs was highest in 2021, with the seroprevalence of HBV peaking at 15 (1.14%). Male donors accounted for 4412 (98%) of all donations, and the prevalence of TTIs was significantly higher among males than females. Conclusion The study highlights the importance of continuous surveillance and screening for TTIs among blood donors to ensure transfusion safety. The higher seroprevalence of HBV underscores the need for effective vaccination programs, and the disparity in gender distribution calls for strategies to encourage female blood donations. TTIs remain a public health concern, necessitating improved donor screening and public awareness.