title: Risk factors and seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus antibody among blood donors in Lagos.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken (i) to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies to Hepatitis C virus (anti -HCV) among blood donors (ii) to document the incidence of known risk factors for HCV infection among blood donors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross sectional prospective study among apparently normal blood donors. Subjects were recruited from three different hospitals in Lagos metropolis. All recruited donors were evaluated for HCV infection- associated risk factors by questionnaire interviews.  Sera samples from recruited donors were tested for anti-HCV using third generation Murex (Murex Biotech, South Africa) and fourth generation Dialab Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kits (Dialab. Austria).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of three hundred and thirty four blood donors were screened, of which seven (2.1 %) were positive for anti-HCV. The blood donors comprised 15 (4.5 %) females and 319 (95.5 %) males. There was an association between anti-HCV positivity and history of multiple sex partners and previous sexually transmitted infections (X2-15.9; p < 0.05)   Majority of blood donors were family replacement 317 (94.9 %) with anti-HCV prevalence of 2.2 % (7/317) while 5.1 % (17/334) were voluntary non remunerated with anti-HCV prevalence of 0% (p >0.05) CONCLUSION:  Prevalence of anti-HCV among blood donors in Lagos (2.1%) is low as in most previous reports from Nigeria and some other parts of Africa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, P.M.B 21105 Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. taiwo_modupe@yahoo.com
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Balogun
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akinsete
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Durosinmi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013653:Tattooing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies