Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B - surface antigen among non-professional blood donors in selected hospital in Dhaka city

The purpose of this study was of collect information about prevalence and socio-demographic features of hepatitis B virus. Also to see the prevalence of HBsAg in relation to age, sex, marital status, educational status, income and occupation, possible route of transmission, knowledge about hepatitis B virus infection and with frequency of blood donation.

A cross sectional study was carried out on two hundreds and seven non-professional blood donors who attended at the department of transfusion medicine, in Dhaka medical hospital, with predonation consent, blood samples were collected in specially covered disposable test tube. The collected samples were carried in a vaccine carrier up to pathology, Dhaka. There blood samples were tested for HBs Ag by ELISA test.

Majority of the respondents were in the age group 20 to 29 years age group Majority of the donors were male which is 91.8 percent and remaining 8.2 percent were female. 97.1 percent of the total donors were literate and 2.9 percent were illiterate. Regarding occupation highest number occupied by others were 54.1 percent followed by students 16.9 percent, lower class employee 11.6 percent and unemployed were 11.6 percent. Among total 207 samples 16 HBsAg cases 4 had the history of jaundice and 12 did not have any history of jaundice. Fifty three point one percent do not have knowledge about hepatitis B virus infection. Among 207 respondents only 12 (5.8 percent) took vaccine against hepatitis B virus and 94.2 percent were not vaccinated 44.9 percent had the history of salon shaving 1.9 percent had the history of high-risk sexual practice. 9.2 percent had the history of travel abroad. Among total of 207 donors, 58 percent donated blood for the first time and 42 percent donated blood for more than one time. 7.7 percent of the non-professional; blood donors found HBsAg positive.

In the respect of public health standpoint these findings are alarming. Wide spread transmission of this disease is a great hazard to the mass population. So, collection of blood from low risk donors by screening test and wide spread vaccination is of paramount importance.