Blood safety and epidemiological trends of blood-borne infections in Brazil: A retrospective analysis

The transfusion of blood components is a critical therapeutic intervention for certain clinical conditions for which alternative treatments are often unavailable. Despite the benefits, transfusions can pose health risks to the recipients, including potential transmission of infectious agents. Post-donation, blood components undergo testing for major transmissible agents such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B and C Viruses (HBV and HCV), Treponema pallidum (syphilis), and Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas disease). This retrospective study assessed the prevalence of donor unsuitability due to these agents and examined potential influences on the profile of blood-borne infections among healthy blood donors in the region. This study was conducted at a public institution in Brazil from January 2014 to December 2021. All effective blood donations were included, totaling 600,001. The donor demographic profile was as follows: 60.5% male, 52.2% single, 44.5% self-identified as white, 39.6% completed high school, and the 31-40 year age group had the highest number of donors, comprising 28%, with the majority being regular donors (70.4%). The prevalence of hemotransmissible agents was 2.13% (T. pallidum), 1.54% (HBV), 0.44% (HIV), 0.36% (T. cruzi), 0.26% (HCV), and 0.23% (HTLV). Specific associations were noted among the sociodemographic data for each condition. T. pallidum and HBV infections are the most frequent causes of donor ineligibility. The data indicate that prevalence rates remained relatively constant with minor fluctuations throughout the study period, although the frequency of HIV infection was notably higher in 2021.