Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in apparently healthy Port Harcourt blood donors and association with blood groups and other risk indicators.

Background: Testing for hepatitis C virus (HCV) is not yet mandatory in blood transfusion laboratories in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, so the current prevalence rate of this infection in our locality is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HCV among apparently healthy blood donors in our area and also to assess some of the risk factors associated with the infection.

Materials And Methods: The presence of anti-HCV antibodies was determined in the serum of 300 blood donors in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. A second-generation rapid screening test, the HEP C SPOT HCV assay was used. Initial reactive results were confirmed by repeat testing with UBI HCV EIA 4.0 enzyme immunoassay. The ABO and Rh blood groups of donors were also determined using standard serological procedures.

Results: The majority of our blood donor population was constituted of males (88%) and commercial donors (63%). The blood group distribution of the donors was as follows: O RhD-positive (73%), AB RhD-positive. (4.0%), A RhD-positive (10.0%), B RhD-positive (3.0%), O RhD-negative (4.0%), A RhD-negative (3.0%), AB RhD-negative (1.0%) and B RhD-negative (2.0%). Fifteen of the 300 donors were positive for HCV, giving a prevalence rate of 5.0% in this study population. The age group 21-30 years was identified as the highest risk group with 60% of the subjects with HCV infection being in this group, compared to 20% each in the age groups 31-40 years and 41-50 years old. Twelve of the 15 (80%) HCV-positive subjects were commercial donors. The prevalence of HCV was statistically significantly higher among female donors than among male donors (chi2 = 81.000, p < 0.01). With regards to the distribution of HCV-positivity according to blood group, 4.1% of the O RhD-positive subjects, 10% of the A RhD-positive subjects and 25% of the AB RhD-positive were HCV-positive. No cases of HCV-positivity were found among the donors with other blood groups. No statistically significant relationship was found to exist between blood groups and HCV prevalence (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: There was a moderate prevalence of HCV infection (5%) in apparently healthy blood donors in Port Hartcourt, Nigeria. The prevalence was higher among commercial donors and in donors in the age bracket of 21-30 years of age.