Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, and VDRL seroprevalence of blood donors in Mersin, Turkey*

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence and affecting factors of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg), hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV), anti human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV), and VDRL in blood donors in Mersin. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective, descriptive study. All blood centers in Mersin were included in the study. The medical records of 30,716 blood donors were evaluated. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, linear-by-linear association test, and the Pearson chi-square signifi cance test. Results: Of the donors, 691 (2.2%) had positive HbsAg, 125 (0.4%) had positive anti-HCV, and 46 (0.1%) had positive VDRL test. Th e confirmation test was positive in 1 participant out of 54 (0.2%), whose anti-HIV test was positive. Of the participants, 862 (2.8%) showed at least 1 positive test result. In one participant, both HbsAg and anti-HCV tests were positive. Conclusion: There was at least 1 blood-borne disease seropositivity in 2.8% of the donors. Seroprevalence increased with age in males.