Assessment of the prevalence of blood-borne infections among donors in the Kyrgyz Republic

Abstract

Introduction. TThe Kyrgyz Republic is a country with a high burden of viral hepatitis: the prevalence of HBV among the population ranges from 3.1% to 5.6%, and HCV prevalence from 2.6% to 4.7%. In this regard, this article provides information on the assessment of the prevalence and incidence of blood-borne infections among donors in the Kyrgyz Republic. Purpose of the study: To assess the prevalence of blood-borne infections among donors in the Kyrgyz Republic. Materials and methods. The material for the study was laboratory data from studies of donor blood for blood-borne infections from the Republican Blood Center and regional blood centers for the period from 2021 to 2023 and statistical data on the incidence of blood-borne infections from the Department of Disease Prevention and State Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance of the Ministry of Health among population of the Kyrgyz Republic. A comparative epidemiological analysis of the prevalence of blood-borne infections among donors in the Kyrgyz Republic was carried out for the periods from 2013-2015 and 2021-2023. Results and discussion. An important link in ensuring viral safety is the quality and organization of the donor selection process . It is generally accepted that voluntary unpaid donors who regularly donate blood are the safest compared to family or paid donors. In the structure of blood donors in the Kyrgyz Republic, 77.2% are family donors, a small share of 19.7% are unpaid donors and 3.1% are paid donors. The increasing prevalence of blood-borne (HIV, HBV, HCV, syphilis, brucellosis) infections among the population, as well as the high proportion of primary donors today create a certain problem in ensuring the safety of donor blood. Quantity donations increased over the analyzed periods of time in 1.2 times (from 37463 to 50457). In the dynamics of blood-borne infections among donors, there is a tendency to reduce the incidence of HIV infection by 2 times, HBV by 2.4 times, HCV by 5 times, syphilis by 1.8 times and brucellosis by 5.4 times. The frequency of detection of markers of the causative agent of HIV infection from 2013 to 2023 decreased from 0.4% to 0.2%. The number of donors with detected hepatitis B virus surface antigen decreased (from 4.4 to 1.8%). The number of donors with antibodies to the hepatitis C virus in 2023 decreased by 706 people compared to 2013 (from 2.5 to 0.5%). The number of donors with markers of the causative agent of syphilis in 2023 decreased by 177 people compared to 2013 (from 1.5 to 0.8%). The number of donors with a positive result for brucellosis in 2023 compared to 2013 decreased from 6.5% to 1.2%. In 2023, the incidence of viral hepatitis B and brucellosis was the highest among all blood-borne infections, amounting to 1.8% and 1.2%, respectively. Conclusions. Due to the correct formation of the contingent of blood donors, a decrease in the frequency of detection of markers of hemotransmissible infections among donors is noted. For the first time, the prevalence and incidence of hemotransmissible infections in repeat blood donors of the country have been determined.

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