Abstract
Objective: To determine Sero-prevalence of Hepatitis B and C virus among blood donors in local population of Sahiwal, Punjab, Pakistan. Study Design: Descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional Study Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Blood Bank of DHQ Teaching Hospital, Sahiwal from August 2019 to November 2019. Materials and Methods: Data from August 2014 to July 2019 was included. Blood grouping was done and serum extracted from blood donors was screened by the use of Immuno-Chromatographic Diagnostic Kits (ICT) for Hepatitis B(HBsAg) and Hepatitis C (Anti-HCV). Results: A total number of 39114 subjects were investigated for Hepatitis B and C viral infections. Out of these 1775 (4.54%) were found to be Anti-HCV positive, 467 (1.19%) were HBsAg positive and 30 (0.08%) were positive for both. Hepatitis B infection was found more prevalent (33.83%) in blood group B and the highest prevalence of Hepatitis C was found in blood group O. Conclusion: Prevalence of Hepatitis C is found high among blood donors visiting DHQ Teaching Hospital Sahiwal, which warrants mandatory regular screening for all blood donations to prevent transfusion related transmission of infections. There is dire need of implementation of community based preventive measures and improved strategies to decrease Sero-prevalence across the region.
| Original language | English (UK) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2-5 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Medical Forum Monthly |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2020 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Anti-HCV
- HBsA
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Immuno-Chromatographic Diagnostic Kits (ICT)
- Sero-prevalence
