Patterns of age- and sex-specific prevalence of major blood-borne infections in United States blood donors, 1995 to 2002: American Red Cross blood donor study.
BACKGROUND
The American Red Cross has been maintaining a research database of all blood donations, including all testing results for infectious disease markers, since 1995. This study analyzes the temporal trends of major blood-borne infections among blood donors.


METHODS
Temporal trends for age- and sex-specific prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and syphilis infections in US blood donors were analyzed based on linear trend or time series model or other models as appropriate.


RESULTS
From 1995 to 2002, significant declines have been observed for infections that used to be at relatively higher levels. Declines in prevalence were slower among first-time donations than repeat donations. There was an increase in prevalence of anti-HCV among first-time male donors of 50 to 59 years of age. Anti-HIV prevalence appeared to have increased among first-time male donors of 30 to 39 years of age since 2000.


CONCLUSIONS
Different sex and age groups showed various patterns of decline and even signs of increase. The increasing prevalence among some age and sex groups may merit further investigation.
Zou
Shimian
S
Transmissible Disease Department, Jerome H Holland Laboratory for the Biomedical Sciences, American Red Cross, Rockville, Maryland 20855, USA. zous@usa.redcross.org
Notari
Edward P
EP
Stramer
Susan L
SL
Wahab
Fawzi
F
Musavi
Fatemeh
F
Dodd
Roger Y
RY
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D013587:Syphilis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies