Seroprevalence of hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency viruses in blood donors of northwestern Pakistan

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections are major health problems associated with blood transfusion practices in Pakistan. This study was conducted on a large population to asses the epidemiology of HCV and HIV in the North West Frontier Province (N.W.F.P) of Pakistan.

Methods: Between January 2008 and July 2009, 62,251 healthy blood donors (BDs), aged 17-50, were included. In that group, 61,059 (98.1%) were male and 1192 (1.9%) were female. All donors from the 11 areas of N.W.F.P were screened for HCV and HIV antibodies by ELISA (Biokit). Blood groups were also determined.

Results: HCV prevalence was 2.6% while HIV infection was 0.045% in this Pakistani population. Prevalence of HCV and HIV in 2008 was 2.4% and 0.049% respectively. In 2009, it was 3.0% for HCV and 0.038 for HIV. Among the age groups, the prevalence of HCV and HIV was not significantly different (p=0.128). Only 1484 (2.4%) of the donors were voluntary, the remaining were paid and family blood donors. The difference in the number of male and female donors was highly significant (p=0.00001). The B+ blood group was found in 30.5% followed by O+ in 25.9%, A+ in 24.9%, AB+ in 10.4%, A- in 2.6%, B- in 2.5%, O- in 2.3%, and AB- in 0.9%. Our study revealed a higher prevalence of HIV than in most of previous reports.

Conclusion: The frequency of HCV infection in blood donors is higher in N.W.F.P than in most of the rest of the world and lower than in other regions of Pakistan. Transfusion of infected blood is a common cause of transmission. HIV prevalence is increasing in Pakistan.