Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection among Blood Donors in General Dipumba Hospital in Mbujimayi, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus is one of the blood borne transmissible infections of public healthsignificance. It can be transmitted to a wider population through transfusion of contaminatedblood or blood products. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of HCV antibodies amongst potential blood donors in Dipumba’s hospital in Mbujimayi. Retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study of seroprevalence of hepatitis C were conducted from consented blood donors in the study area and were examined for anti-HCV antibody using HCVSCAN test. Results were analyzed using SPSS version, 23.0 statistical software Package of the 1584 blood donors examined in the study population 1, 9 % (n= 30) were sero-positive to Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), 77.8% were male (sex ratio M/F 3.5 and familial donors were 50.4%. No statistical significant association with the seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus and general characteristics of blood donors in Mbujimayi (age, sex, marital status, blood donation category). Our findings further confirm the presence of hepatitis C virusinfection among blood donors in Mbujimayi. Routine HCV screening of blood donors is therefore recommendedin order to reduce the risk of post transfusion hepatitis C. Keyword: Seroprevalence; hepatitis C; blood donors; Mbujimayi