Seroprevalence, trends, and risk factors of hepatitis B and C among family replacement blood donors; a 7-year retrospective study at Sunyani Municipal Hospital, Ghana

Abstract

BackgroundHepatitis B and C cause chronic infections which develop into liver-related sequelae, like cirrhosis and liver carcinoma. This study determined the prevalence, trends, and risk factors of HBV and HCV among family replacement blood donors. MethodsA retrospective review of primary data on blood donors screened between January 2015 and December 2021 was conducted at the Sunyani Municipal Hospital. The data were assessed for seroprevalence, trends, and odds ratios using SPSS. ResultsOf 6847 donors, the majority were males (88.1% [6033]), ≤ 24 years (27.4% [1874]), of the O blood type (69.8% [4776]), and Rh-positive (89.9% [6154]). Seroprevalences of HBV and HCV were 3.2% and 1.9%, respectively, with more males infected with both HBV and HCV (3.4% vs 2.0%). Male donors were 2.842 times (CI: 1.500-5.385, p = 0.001) and 2.399 times (CI: 1.116-5.157, p = 0.025) more susceptible than females to HBV and HCV, respectively. In the rainy season, donors were 1.489 times (CI: 1.017-2.180, p = 0.041) more susceptible to HCV. HBV and HCV showed declining trends over the period (slope: -0.5464, p ≤ 0.001 vs slope: -0.6179, p ≤ 0.001). ConclusionGender was signi cantly associated with both HBV and HCV, while season was signi cantly associated with HCV. The male gender and rainy season were signi cant determinants of both infections. The seroprevalence of HBV was higher than HCV despite the signi cant decline in both HBV and HCV seroprevalences. We, recommend health authorities intensify health education among males and during the rainy season. Also, local variations in the seroprevalence of these infections call for upgrade and standardisation in serological testing for blood donors across Ghanaian blood centres.

Plasma von Willebrand Factor Antigen Levels and Its Relation with ABO Blood Group, Age and Sex

“…Similar to the Souto et al [24] study, the current study recruited only blood donors as participants. Blood group O being the predominant blood type among the participants in this study is consistent with previous studies [5,7,16,23,25]. O blood type has the highest frequency despite being a recessive gene, probably because it is more highly expressed in the gene pool than the others [21].…”

“…In this study, there were predominantly more males than females, which is consistent with studies by Alharbi et al [21] and Asuquo et al [22]. This may be due to the false cultural perception that only men are healthy enough to donate blood, possibly because they do not menstruate [23]. The age range of participants was between 18 and 50 years, with the majority of participants (63.1%) between the ages of 18 and 30 years.…”

Effect of Season on Blood Transfusion Patterns: A Retrospective Study

“…The age of patients was presented as percentiles (50 th [25 th -75 th ]) and further recoded into nominal groups. The month was transformed into a binary variable, season with rainy-and dry seasons as outcomes as reported by Osei-Boakye et al [16]. The test of association between two-by-two matrix and larger nominal categories was determined using the Fisher's Exact and Chi-Square tests, respectively.…”

Transfusion transmissible infections among blood donors in Ghana: A 3‐year multicentered health facility‐based retrospective study

“…3,4 Even though effective HBV prophylaxis has been available, 5 there are ~2 billion infected people worldwide, with ~350 million persistently infected. 6 HBV infects over 50 million people in Africa, with up to 20% of the infected persons in Sub-Saharan Africa alone being chronic carriers. 6 In Ghana, the prevalence of HBV infection ranges from 4.8% to 21%.…”

“… 6 HBV infects over 50 million people in Africa, with up to 20% of the infected persons in Sub‐Saharan Africa alone being chronic carriers. 6 In Ghana, the prevalence of HBV infection ranges from 4.8% to 21%. 7 Such chronic infections result in hepatitis‐related complications such as cirrhosis and liver carcinoma.…”