First Serological Evidence of Cytomegalovirus Infection Among Eligible Blood Donors in Ilorin, Nigeria and Its Implications for Transfusion Safety

This study investigated the prevalence of CMV immunoglobulins and associated risk factors among eligible blood donors in Ilorin, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 235 eligible voluntary blood donors aged 18–53 years at the blood bank of Sobi Specialist hospital, Ilorin. Serum samples were screened for anti-CMV IgG and IgM antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based kit. Demographic data, risk factors, and clinical symptoms were collected through structured interviews while statistical correlation was via chi-square/p value, and Estimated Marginal Means (EMM). Seroprevalence for CMV-IgG and IgM were 92.3% and 22.1% respectively. A significant association was found between overall CMV serostatus and IgM positivity (χ² = 5.634, p = 0.018). IgG seropositivity was significantly associated with age (p = 0.001) religion (p = 0.003), education level (p = 0.047), occupation (p = 0.001), and residential area (p = 0.049). IgM status showed significant associations with education (p = 0.042) and tattooing (p < 0.001). Symptoms such as sore throat (p = 0.028), muscle ache (p = 0.040), and tiredness (p = 0.016) were more common in IgM-positive individuals. EMM analysis revealed that tattooing significantly influenced CMV IgM means after adjusting for other variables. The high CMV burden in Ilorin highlights the need for routine screening of blood donors and women in antenatal care. Public health interventions targeting risk awareness, especially among women with tattoos and limited education, are strongly recommended. Keywords: Blood donors, seroprevalence, IgG, IgM, women, Ilorin, EMM, Nigeria