Study of distribution of transfusion transmissible diseases in donated blood units in a tertiary care teaching hospital

Several infectious diseases are transmissible by blood transfusion, especially viral infections. The most common blood-transmitted viruses are hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). These viruses cause fatal, chronic and life-threatening disorders. The purpose of this study was to establish the current distribution of hepatitis viruses (B and C), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Syphilis (VDRL test) and Malaria among donated blood units in a tertiary care teaching hospital. A total of 296 blood units were found positive on initial testing for a marker of transmissible infection. Distribution of seropositivity was as follows: HBV: 57.7% (171/296), HCV: 20.6 % (61/296), HIV: 17.9% (53/296) & VDRL: 2 % (6/296), Malaria - Nil Co-infection with HIV+HBV: 1 % (3/296) Co-infection with HIV+HCV: 0.6 % (2/296)