title: Seroprevalence and diagnosis of HIV, HBV, HCV and syphilis infections among blood donors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Blood transfusion is one of the most important therapeutic options of life-saving intervention for recipients who are in diseased or non-diseased conditions with severe blood loss. However, it is associated with certain risks which can lead to adverse consequences that may cause acute or delayed complications and bring the risk of transfusion-transmissible infections including HIV, Hepatitis B & C and Syphilis. So, there might be a fatal risk instead of life saving. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive and reliable tabulation of available data on seroprevalence and diagnosis of HIV, HBV, HCV and Syphilis infections among blood donors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched studies reporting the prevalence rate of HIV, HBV, HCV and Syphilis infections among blood donors that were published between October 2009 and June 2016, using databases of PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE, Elsevier, ScienceDirect, EBSCO, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and Web of Science with keywords: ``Hepatitis C Virus'', ``Hepatitis B Virus'', ``HIV'', ``Syphilis'', ``Seroprevalence'', and ``blood donor''.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The seroprevalence of HBV and HCV was highest in African countries as compared to others continents, predominantly the West African region with a range of 10.0% to 14.96% and 1.5% to 8.69%, respectively, while the overall seropositivity of HIV and syphilis infection show a significant declining pattern through successive years globally, even though relatively higher prevalence rate was observed among older age and those with low level of education.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a problem during selection, diagnoses and screening process in developing nations primarily due to shortage of sensitive screening test kits, highly qualified human resource and lack of proper standard operating procedures and hence, the safety of blood and blood products are the primary threats in the region. Proper clinical diagnosis and screening method should be applied during blood donation and therefore, all the donated blood should be screened properly for transfusion-transmitted infections.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Tadesse Bekele
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Tafesse
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Woldia University, Woldia, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Addis Adera
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Gebru
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Semgne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gobalee
authors.affiliation: Department of Disasters and Emergency Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Gosaye Degu
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Belay
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Molla Teferi
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Belew
authors.affiliation: Department Emergency Medicine, Head of Emergency Unit and Coordinator of Emergency Unit, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Demelash
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ataro
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Samara University, Samara, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Belay Ali
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Ebrahim
authors.affiliation: Amhara Regional Health Office, North Wollo Zone Health Department, Harbu District, Woldia, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Getachew Mekonnon
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Shebeshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural & Computational Sciences, Woldia University, Woldia, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Yonas
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yimam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060085:Coinfection; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006678:HIV / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013587:Syphilis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000914:Antibodies, Viral
keywords:  infections; Blood donor; HIV; Hepatitis B Virus; Hepatitis C Virus; seroprevalence; syphilis: Transfusion-transmissible