title: Blood donors' positivity for transfusion-transmissible infections: the Serbian Military Medical Academy experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Members of armed forces worldwide are considered to be very susceptible to sexually transmitted infections, thus falling into a high-risk group of blood donors regarding transfusion-transmissible infections. In the Serbian Military Medical Academy a significant number (44% for the period 2005-2013) of blood donations were from members of the Serbian Army. The aim of this study was to determine the significance of military blood donors for the safety of blood transfusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2005 and December 2013, a total of 155,479 blood donations were tested for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis using serological assays (enzyme immunoassays, chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay and western blot) and molecular testing (polymerase chain reaction analysis).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of blood donations positive for transfusion-transmissible infections in the estimated period was 0.38%, and the percentage of HBV, HCV, HIV and syphilis positive blood donations was 0.20%, 0.12%, 0.005% and 0.06%, respectively. During that period, the percentage of all transfusion-transmissible infections, and in particular of HBV and HCV, declined significantly. In contrast, the percentage of HIV and syphilis positive blood donations remained unchanged. Higher rates of positivity for transfusion-transmissible infections in blood donations from members of the Serbian Army were not found, especially after mandatory military service was abolished in 2009.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reported rate of positivity for transfusion-transmissible infections in blood donations from the Military Medical Academy was considered low. This information is of great significance for further implementation of public health measures.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Transfusiology and Haemobiology of Military Medical Academy, Serbia.|Faculty of Medicine of the Military Medical Academy, University of Defense, Serbia.
authors.forename: Dušan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vučetić
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Defense of Republic of Serbia, Serbia.
authors.forename: Gorica
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kecman
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ilić
authors.affiliation: Institute for Transfusiology and Haemobiology of Military Medical Academy, Serbia.|Faculty of Medicine of the Military Medical Academy, University of Defense, Serbia.|Ministry of Defense of Republic of Serbia, Serbia.
authors.forename: Bela
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Balint
mesh_terms: D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058731:Blood Safety; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D015995:Prevalence; D055771:Serbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013587:Syphilis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013588:Syphilis Serodiagnosis; D014766:Viremia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral