Trends in major transfusion-transmissible infections among blood donors over 17 years in Istanbul, Turkey.
Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis are serious complications of blood transfusion. These infections are routinely screened by blood banks; such tests are obligatory for transfusion safety in Turkey. The results of screening 1 737 943 blood donations from blood centres in Istanbul between 1 January 1987 and 31 December 2003 for HBV, HCV, HIV and syphilis were analysed retrospectively. Hepatitis B surface antigen rates fell from 5.98% in 1987 to 2.07% in 2003. Anti-HCV seropositivity was found to be approximately 0.5%, whereas anti-HIV seropositivity was approximately 0.001%. Rapid plasma reagin rates (test for syphilis) were 0.04% in 1987, and increased to 0.2% in 2002. The decreasing trends observed in data from the 17-year period studied indicate the value of safety measures taken, in particular the implementation of donor screening procedures in 1997.
Kocak
N
N
Haydarpasa Training Hospital Blood Centre, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Istanbul, Turkey. nafizkocak@yahoo.com
Hepgul
S
S
Ozbayburtlu
S
S
Altunay
H
H
Ozsoy
M F
MF
Kosan
E
E
Aksu
Y
Y
Yilmaz
G
G
Pahsa
A
A
D001771:Blood Banks; D001782:Blood Donors; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000635:transmission*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D013587:Syphilis / Q000635:transmission*; D013997:Time Factors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014421:Turkey; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission*