The Prevalence of Hepatitis B and C Viruses Among Blood Donors Attending Blood Bank in Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

The prevalence of blood borne viral infection is escalating worldwide. Screening blood donors is needed to prevent further spread of such infections. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) among blood donors in Duhok, Northern Iraq. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on blood donors attending Duhok blood bank. A total of 7900 subjects were included in the study from January to December 2014. Subjects were tested for evidence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and HCV antibody (HCV-Ab). A questionnaire was used to collect demographic and personal data of each positive subject. All HCV-positive samples were assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to confirm the results. Among the studied sample, the prevalence of HBsAg and HCV-Ab were 62/7900 (0.78%) and 16/7900 (0.2%), respectively. The results of RT-PCR for quantitation of HCV showed that only 1/7900 (0.013%) patients was HCV-positive. No significant difference was observed in the positivity of HBV and HCV between donors living in the city and rural areas (P > 0.05). In addition, history of dental procedure was given in 77% and 75% of HBV- and HCV-positive donors, respectively. The prevalence of HBV infection among donors in Duhok was comparable with those of reports from other parts of Iraq. Education and immunization should be initiated to target the high-risk groups. Furthermore, a community-based study is recommended to study the prevalence of HBV and HCV infection in the population.