Prevalence and trends of transfusion transmitted infections among blood donors in a tertiary care hospital of Assam

The overall prevalence of transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) in India is 1.58%, while in Assam, it stands at 1.2%. The relatively higher prevalence of TTIs in certain geographical regions can be attributed to illiteracy, lack of awareness, inadequate diagnosis due to poor infrastructure, and insufficient research efforts. Additionally, ABO antigens are also considered to be associated with the risk of developing TTIs. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the trend and sero-prevalence of TTIs among blood donors and to evaluate the possible association between TTIs and ABO blood groups. This retrospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Assam over a span of eight and a half years, from June 2015 to December 2023. The medical records of blood donors were reviewed without consideration of age, ethnicity, or gender. Data on demographic details, blood group, and TTI screening test results were collected and analyzed for the study. The overall prevalence of TTIs in our study was found to be 3.1%, with HCV having the highest prevalence (1.14%), followed by syphilis (1.0%), HBV (0.54%), HIV (0.41%), and malaria (0.01%). An overall upward trend in TTI prevalence was observed, with HCV showing a particularly notable increase. A significant positive association (p < 0.05) was identified between donors lacking ABO antigens and TTI positivity, while a negative association was observed in those expressing both A and B antigens. Additionally, the present study found that donors with Rh-negative blood groups had a lower likelihood of TTIs compared to Rh-positive donors. The relatively higher prevalence of TTIs highlights a lack of public awareness, insufficient knowledge, and inadequate counselling within the studied population.