Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases (Apr 2013)

Decrease in hepatitis B prevalence among blood donors in Central-West Brazil

  • Andréa de Siqueira Campos Lindenberg,
  • Ana Rita Coimbra Motta-Castro,
  • Marco Antonio Puga,
  • Tayana Serpa Ortiz Tanaka,
  • Marina Sawada Torres,
  • Sonia Maria Fernandes-Fitts,
  • Rivaldo Venancio Cunha

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1678-9199-19-7
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 19, no. 0

Abstract

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Background The aim of the present study was to estimate hepatitis B virus seroprevalence among first-time blood donors in the city of Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul State, in the central-western region of Brazil. Findings A retrospective analysis of first-time voluntary blood donor records, from January 2010 to December 2010, was conducted at the Hematology Center of Mato Grosso do Sul. The prevalence of the HBsAg and anti-HBc serological markers and their respective 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Chi-square analysis was performed between the seroprevalence previously found in 2001 and the one determined by the current study. Results were considered statistically significant if p < 0.05. Among 8,840 subjects, 269 (3.04%, 95% CI: 2.7-3.4) were positive for HBV markers. The prevalence rate of HBsAg was 0.19% (95% CI: 0.1-0.3) and anti-HBc alone was 2.85% (95% CI: 2.5-3.2). Conclusions There was no statistically significant difference regarding gender. However, an important association was observed between HBV infection and older age ( p < 0.01). The seroprevalence of HBV infection in first-time blood donors diminished from 2001 to 2010 ( p < 0.01). Such decrease suggests an improvement in the recruitment of safe donors, the positive impact of vaccination programs and the decreasing of HBV infection prevalence in the general population.

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