• Jawaher Alsughayyir, Yasser Almalki, Imtinan Alburayk, Mohrah Alalshaik, Ibrahim Aljoni, Mona Kandel, Mohammad A Alfhili, and Abdulmajeed A Alabdullateef.
• From the Chair of Medical and Molecular Genetics Research (Alfhili), Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, and from the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, (Alsughayyir, Alalshaik,), College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University; from the Division of Hematology (Almalki), King Khalid University Hospital; from the Blood Transfusion Services Operation Centre (Aljoni, Kandel, Alabdullateef Ministry of Health, Riyadh; and from the Maternity and Children Hospital (Alburayk), Ministry of Health, Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Saudi Med J. 2022 Dec 1; 43 (12): 136313721363-1372.

ObjectivesTo establish a nationwide epidemiological profile of transfusion-transmittable infection (TTI) markers among seemingly healthy blood donors to update policies required to ensure blood safety.MethodsA nationwide, cross-sectional study was designed to examine donor demographics and TTI prevalence during 2020 using data provided by the Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia.ResultsCollectively, a total of 375,218 whole blood units were donated, of which 32,758 (8.7%) were excluded due to TTI-related risk. The exclusion was based on a positive nucleic acid amplification test (NAT) or seroreactivity to hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV-I/II), syphilis, or malaria. Notably, the central (37.6%) and southern (33%) regions were the epicenters of TTI-reactive blood donors. Hepatitis B virus markers accounted for 85.7% and were the overall most prevalent of TTI-positive donations, followed by HCV at 5.9% and syphilis at 5.6%. In particular, anti-HBc and HBsAg were most prevalent in the south, while HBV NAT was highest in the center.ConclusionHepatitis B virus, HCV, and syphilis carry the greatest risk of TTI in Saudi Arabia. Including HBsAg screening is a necessary precautious measure to maintain blood safety.Copyright: © Saudi Medical Journal.

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