Results of donor`s blood screening on the presence of hepatitis C antibodies in the blood service of Ukraine for 2019-2021

Abstract

Introduction. An indicator of social and medical well-being, in particular, during wartime in Ukraine, is the level of spread of one of the hemotransmissive infections – hepatitis C. After being contaminated with hepatitis C virus donor blood is transformed from a life-saving treatment to a source of deadly disease, all the above accompanied by lack of statistics on cases of infection transmission during blood transfusions. There is an urgent need for the blood service of Ukraine to implement method of polymerase chain reaction, widely used in global practice, which will make it possible to detect blood transmissive pathogens even in the early phases of infection. Detection of potential infectious agents should be established in Ukraine at an appropriate level with the mandatory use of methods and quality test systems that are implemented in countries of European Union and United States of America. The aim of the study. To analyze the donor`s blood screening results on the presence of hepatitis C antibodies according to the blood service of Ukraine reports for the years 2019-2021. Materials and Methods. An epidemiological, single-moment, continuous, retrospective analysis was carried out using biostatistical data in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine № 353 of 10.12.98 “On ensuring the safety and quality of donated blood, its components and derivatives preparation” (reports of regional centers for blood transfusion of Ukraine) for the period 2019-2021 while applying medico-statistical methods: retrospective, copying, mathematical, graphic, abstract, deductive awareness, structural and logical systemic analysis. Screening of donor blood for the presence of hepatitis C antibodies was accomplished by the enzyme immunoassay method. The dynamics of the prevalence of hepatitis C markers among donors per 100,000 studies with deviation indices (DI+/-) were analyzed. Results. The number of tests conducted for the presence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in 2019, 2020 and 2021 was 502155, 445224 and 474488 respectively, indicating certain decrease of donor blood screening potential. According to the quantitative hierarchy, the highest peak in the prevalence of hepatitis C markers in 2019 was detected in Ivano-Frankivsk region, while the lowest value of this same index documented in Sumy region. According to the obtained database, the average all-Ukraine index of the hepatitis C virus prevalence in donor`s blood decreased from 832.0 in 2019 to 527.3 in 2021 per 100.000 probes. Conclusions. Taking into consideration the overall epidemic situation related to the prevalence of hepatitis C markers in donor’s blood in Ukraine due to period 2019-2021, the Parliamentary view on the problem, with regard to the Order of the Ministry of health care of Ukraine “On the approval of measures and means for preventing infections during patient care”, there is acute necessity for the implementation of modern diagnostic methodology (namely – the polymerase chain reaction) for the detection of potential hemotransmissive infections in donor`s blood, with simultaneous enhancement of elucidative activities of public organizations regarding the prevention of infections with special regard to the hemotransmissive infections. Keywords: screening for hepatitis C markers, donor’s blood, regions of Ukraine, prevalence per 100,000 probes.