A Study To Assess Trend In Seroprevalence Of Hepatitis B Virus Infection Among Blood Donors Of Southern Haryana, India

摘要

Background: Hepatitis B is one of the transfusion transmissible infections. The prevalence of this infection varies across the different geographical regions. Noting the trend in seroprevalence of hepatitis B is useful to assist the preventive strategies. The aim of this study was to determine the trend of seroprevalence of hepatitis B in southern Haryana over a five -year period. Methodology: The study was conducted at the blood bank of a tertiary care hospital serving predominantly the rural population of Southern Haryana. A retrospective analysis of blood donors over a period of five years was done to assess the seroprevalence and the trend of hepatitis B infection. ELISA was used to detect the hepatitis B surface antigen in the donors as a marker of infection. Results: A total of 11,340 blood donors were studied. 150 (1.32%) were positive, which comes under the “low prevalence (<2%) zone,” per World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The increasing trend in seroprevalence of hepatitis B was observed after 2009. Replacement donors and male blood donors showed higher seropositivity compared to voluntary donors and female donors. A Chi-square test was used to calculate the significance of difference between the groups. Conclusion: Southern Haryana has a low prevalence of hepatitis B in blood donors with an increasing trend in seroprevalence of hepatitis B over the last two years (i.e. 2009-11). This is an alarming situation, which needs effective preventive measures as well as improved health care delivery system. Introduction Hepatitis B is a major public health problem worldwide. Assessment of the quality of donor selection and safety of the blood supply can be estimated by monitoring the prevalence of the serologic markers of infectious disease in screening tests. Approximately 30% of the world’s population or about 2 billion persons have serological evidence of either current or past infection with hepatitis B virus1. Countries are classified based on endemicity of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection into high (8% or more), intermediate (2-7%) or low (less than 2%) incidence countries. The prevalence of chronic HBV infection in India ranges from 2% to 10%, as shown by different studies1. India therefore comes under the intermediate to high endemicity category. Hepatitis B infection is one of the transfusion transmissible infections; hence, it is mandatory to test all blood donors for HBsAg. Sero-surveys are one of the primary methods to determine the prevalence of HBsAg. Evaluation of data on the prevalence of HBV, among blood donors permits an assessment of the occurrence of infection in the blood donor population and consequently, the assessment helps in determining the safety of the blood products. In the present retrospective study, we evaluated the seroprevalence of HBV among blood donors in rural population of southern Haryana. The study also aimed to determine the trend in hepatitis B infection and to compare the prevalence with that of other areas in India. The results of these prevalence studies should help in the creation of long-term strategies to improve public health and to prevent spreading of the disease in the local population. Material and Methods The study was conducted at the blood bank of a rural tertiary care hospital, Maharaja Agrasen Medical College, serving a predominantly rural population of southern Haryana. In this retrospective study, we reviewed 11340 healthy blood donors over a period of three years from January 2007 to December 2011. Trained personnel carefully selected the donors for donation after a complete physical examination and satisfactorily answering the donor’s questionnaire. The family members, friends or relatives of the patients were categorized as replacement donors. People who donate blood without expecting any favor in return or in voluntary blood donation camps were classified as voluntary blood donors. At the end of the blood collection, donor samples were obtained for ser