• Babatunde Olanrewaju Motayo, Adedayo Omotayo Faneye, Usen Asuquo Udo, Babatunde Adebiyi Olusola, Isreal Ezeani, and Joseph Iruobe Ogiogwa.
• Microbiology Unit, Pathology department, Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta ; Department of Virology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan.
• Afr Health Sci. 2015 Mar 1; 15 (1): 192419-24.

BackgroundTransfusion transmissible infections, such as HIV, HBV, HCV and syphilis are on the rise and pose a threat to blood safety.ObjectiveTo determine prevalence and demographic profiles of TTI's among first time blood donors in Abeokuta, Nigeria.MethodsThe study was conducted between February to November 2013; 130 first time blood donors were tested for the presence of HIV, HBsAg, HCV antibodies and Treponema palidium antibodies using EIA based rapid immunochromatographic kits. Data analysis was done using SPSS with a level of significance of p<0.05.ResultsPrevalence rates to HIV, HBsAg, HCV antibody, were 6.2% (n=8), 10% (n=13) and 1.5% (n=2), there was 0% prevalence to Treponema palidium antibodies. Group specific prevalence rates revealed that educational status was associated with HBsAg positivity (p = 0.028), donors with a history of previous blood transfusion was also statistically associated with HIV sero-reactivity (p = 0.013).ConclusionsHigh levels of HBsAg and HIV were observed, there is need to revise the donor testing algorithm in Nigeria in line with the prevalence of TTI's. We also advocate that a National surveillance system for TTI's be established through our National blood transfusion service (NBTS) program, a second serological test is also suggested to reduce the risk of occult HBV infection in Nigeria.

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