Seroprevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Hepatitis E Virus Infection Among Blood Donors in Tripoli, Libya

Hepatitis E (HE) is a transfusion-transmitted viral disease caused by the Hepatitis E virus (HEV). There are currently no national seroprevalence reports for Libyan blood donors. This study therefore aimed to evaluate HEV risk to blood safety by assessing the prevalence of anti-HEV IgG and anti-HEV IgM among Libyan healthy blood donors. A total of 267 serum samples were collected from blood donors. Using a questionnaire form, the risk factors for HEV infection of all blood donors were gathered. The sera of the blood donors were screened for anti-HEV IgM and anti-HEV IgG using ELISA kits (DIA. PRO Srl, Milan, Italy). The statistical significance of the association between dependent and independent variables was evaluated using the chi-square test. A P-value < 0.05 was considered an indicator of statistical significance. The overall seroprevalence of HEV infection was 5.24% (14/267). Of the 267 blood donors, 12 (4.49%) tested positive for anti-HEV IgG antibodies. In contrast, 2 (0.74%) tested positive for anti-HEV antibodies (IgM and IgG). Our seroprevalence of anti-HEV IgG was significantly associated with increased age, marital status, the technique of washing hands before eating, and smoking habit, and it was significantly low in blood donors who eat in cafes and restaurants. The overall seroprevalence of HEV infection was low in Libya. HEV is not currently prevalent among blood donors in Tripoli, Libya and poses little threat to the national blood supply. Therefore, current blood donor screening protocols are sufficient.