The seroprevalence of HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and venereal disease research laboratory test seropositivity in blood donors: a 5-year retrospective comparative study at tertiary care hospital in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Background: The high seroprevalence of transfusion-transmitted infectious (TTI) diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and syphilis in India affects the safety of blood for recipients. This study was undertaken with the aim to screen the blood donor’s demographic profile and to estimate seroprevalence of HIV, HBV, HCV and VDRL transmissible by blood transfusion in voluntary and replacement male and female blood donors during the last 5 year period.Methods: The present study was conducted over a period of 5 years (2001-2005) and involved 1,53,020 blood donors including both (voluntary, replacement males and females) who were thoroughly screened and selected for blood donation in blood bank at Departments of Pathology, Seth GS Medical College and KEM hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.Results: Total five years seropositivity for all four disease marker in all blood donors was 9150 (5.97%). The incidence of HIV seropositivity was 1995 (1.30%), the seroprevalence of HBV in total blood donor was 4673 (3.05%), HCV consist of 1599 (1.04%), and VDRL seropositivity was least, i.e. 883 (0.57%). Out of total 9150 (5.97%) seropositive blood donors, 24 (0.26%) blood donors showed concomitant seropositivity for more than one of the blood transmissible diseases.Conclusions: Seroprevalence rate of all the four blood transmissible diseases was higher in replacement donors, and lower in voluntary group of donors. Therefore, it has been evaluated that the voluntary blood donation is safer and promoted for safe blood donation in comparison to replacement blood donation