TITLE:
Hepatitis B in Senegalese Blood Donors: Low Prevalence after Five Blood Donations?
AUTHORS:
Papa Silman Diawara, Mamadou Wague Gueye, Sokhna M. Daffe, Mor Ngom, Maguette Ndoye, Nata Dieng, Ibrahima Diallo, Bécaye Fall, Macoura Gadji, Moustapha Diop, Pape Samba Ba, Yankhoba Diop
KEYWORDS:
First-Time Donor, Regular Donor, Hepatitis B, Prevalence
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Infectious Diseases,
Vol.12 No.3,
September
2,
2022
ABSTRACT: Background: Over the past two decades, blood transfusion safety has made significant advances in the fight against infectious diseases. However, hepatitis B is still a problem in blood banks due to its high endemicity in Senegal. In this context, we proposed to first determine the prevalence of HBs antigen (HBsAg) in regular and new blood donors. Second, to determine the influence of the number of blood donations on the prevalence of hepatitis B. Materials and Method: We conducted a retrospective transversal study using data from all blood donations received at the Principal Hospital of Dakar Blood bank from July 2007 to December 31, 2021. Hepatitis B testing was carried out with Automaton E411 (Roche Diagnostics). For all donors, information on age, sex, hepatitis B serology, and the number of donations was collected through the lab’s computer system. Data entry and statistical analysis were performed with Epi-info version 7. Results: HBsAg carriers were identified in 4311 primary donors, corresponding to a prevalence of 12.39% (IC 95% = 12.04 - 12.74). The prevalence of the HBsAg antigen was higher in men (12.9%) than in women (6.85%). Men are twice as likely to be infected with HBV as women (OR = 2.00 (IC 95% = 1.85 - 2.17)). The highest prevalence (12.4%) was found in young adults (23 - 29) years old. After 10 donations, the prevalence of the HBs antigen was stable at around 1%. Individuals with a single blood donation and individuals with 2 to 5 blood donations are 9 and 7 times more likely to carry the HBs antigen than regular donors (more than 10 blood donations), respectively. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate the endemic nature of hepatitis B in Senegal. On the other hand, the non-negligible prevalence of the virus in first-time donors reminds us of the need for continuous improvement in donor selection. These first-time donors, particularly young adults, are important indicators of transmission of the virus to the general population. This study also demonstrates the need to develop strategies to maintain the pool of regular donors, which represent significant barriers to the spread of hepatitis B.