Seropositivity of TTIs among blood donors in Hail, Saudi Arabia, from 2014 to 2015

ObjectiveTo detect the seropositivity of transfusion transmitted infections among healthy blood donors in Hail Region, Saudi Arabia.MethodsIn the study, about 361 blood donors from different nationalities and ages were tested. Serum samples were collected and tested by ELISA for detection of HIV, HTLV-I/II, hepatitis B virus, syphilis and hepatitis C virus (HCV).ResultsOut of 361 donors, 26 were found to be positive for HCV in a percentage of 7.2% while 17 (4.7%) of them were infected with HIV. There were eight donors infected with HTLV-I/II, and three donors infected with syphilis. Hepatitis B surface antigen was detected in 10% of donors while hepatitis B surface antibody and hepatitis B core antibody were positive in thirty-one blood donors.ConclusionsThe obtained data revealed that the seropositivity of hepatitis B virus, HCV, syphilis, HTLV-I/II, and HIV in Hail Region during the period under study were 8.6%, 7.2%, 4.7%, 2.2% and 0.8%, respectively. It is recommended to continue screening blood donors with highly specific and sensitive tests, to counsel donors who are positive to transfusion transmitted infections.