Increasing Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus among Blood Donors - A 3 Year Study in North India

BACKGROUND The primary aspect of blood transfusion lies in the availability of blood and blood components which are tested and reported negative for transfusion transmitted infections (TTI’s). The increased seroprevalence of TTI’s indicate their prevalence in general public. The study was conducted to analyse the increasing seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) over a period of 3 years. The objectives of the study determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among the voluntary blood donors at a tertiary care hospital & associated blood bank. METHODS This cross-sectional study was done at the Department of Transfusion Medicine, GSVM Medical College, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, over a period of 3 years from July 2017 to June 2020. The samples collected were screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests. RESULTS A total of 69561 blood units were collected during this 3-year study from July 2017 to June 2020. Of all the blood bags screened, the highest prevalence was seen for HBV followed by HCV and HIV. 949 (1.4 %) were reactive for HBV, 75 (0.1 %) were reactive for HIV and 332 (0.5 %) were reactive for HCV. The results show a remarkable increase in the seropositivity for hepatitis C infection. CONCLUSIONS The seroprevalence of HCV has seen an increase in case load over the years as compared to HBV and HIV. This increase in case volume is indicative of impending liver diseases progressing to chronic stage over the years. Thus, it is imperative to create awareness in the general population to help reduce the risk factors responsible for HCV infection. KEYWORDS Blood Transfusion, Voluntary Donors, HCV, HBV, HIV, Seroprevalence, Transfusion Transmitted Infections (TTI’s)