Prevalence of serological markers and nucleic acid for blood-borne viral infections in blood donors in Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia

Authors

  • Hatem H AlMutairi Central Laboratory and Blood Bank, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Mohammad M AlAhmari Khamis Mushait General Hospital, Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia
  • Badr H Al-Zahran Central Laboratory and Blood Bank, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia
  • Ibrahim S Abbas Health Affairs Office, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia
  • Juma`an S Al Ghamdi Primary Health Care Centre, Bani Farwa, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia
  • Yahia A Raja`a Faculty of Public Health and Health Informatics, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
  • Talal A Sallam Faculty of Medicine, Al-Baha University Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.6666

Keywords:

HBV, HCV, HIV, Al-Baha, KSA, blood donors

Abstract

Introduction: Data on blood-borne viral infections in some regions in Saudi Arabia remain scarce. This study investigates the prevalence of serological markers and nucleic acid for blood-borne viruses among blood donors in Al-Baha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, 2,807 donors who donated blood between January 2009 and November 2011 were investigated for blood-borne viral serological markers including HBsAg, anti-HBc, anti-HBs, anti-HCV, anti-HIV, and anti-HTLVI/III in addition to viral nucleic acid.

Results: All donors were males between 16 to 66 years of age (mean: 31.5 ± 9.3 years). Viral nucleic acid and/or serological markers were detected in a total of 36 (1.3%) donors; of them, 26 (72.2%) had nucleic acid concomitant with serological markers, 6 (16.7%) had only viral nucleic acid, while 4 (11.1%) had only serological markers. Of all donors, 22 (0.8%) had HBsAg, 227 (8.0%) had anti-HBc, 157 (5.0%) had anti-HBs, 2,577 (91.8%) had no HBV markers, 2 (0.07%) had anti-HIV, 1 (0.04%) had anti-HCV, and 1 (0.04%) had anti-HTLVI/II. The donors who were born during HBV vaccination era showed no HBsAg (0.0%; p = 0.052), lower rates of anti-HBc (1.5%; p < 0.001) and anti-HBs (0.7%; p < 0.001), while the majority had no HBV markers (98.5%; p < 0.001).

Conclusions: Combined viral nucleic acid and serological testing of donated blood enhances blood safety. The absence of HBV markers among donors suggests susceptibility or declined anti-HBs levels. Thus, HBV revaccination or a vaccine boost among adolescents and adults might be indispensable.

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Published

2016-06-30

How to Cite

1.
AlMutairi HH, AlAhmari MM, Al-Zahran BH, Abbas IS, Al Ghamdi JS, Raja`a YA, Sallam TA (2016) Prevalence of serological markers and nucleic acid for blood-borne viral infections in blood donors in Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia. J Infect Dev Ctries 10:619–625. doi: 10.3855/jidc.6666

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Section

Original Articles