Abstract:
Blood transfusions carry risks of untoward reactions, including the transmission of infections,
such as hepatitis B. But about 50% of these blood donors and blood recipients have had natural
exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV) and therefore perceived to have natural immunity against
HBV. In view of this, the need for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) testing of blood donors
before donation has often been over looked. This has resulted in about 50% of blood donors not
going through screening for HBsAg in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined the potential
risk of acquiring transfusion-transmitted hepatitis B infection in the Cape Coast, Ghana. A total
of three hundred and thirty nine potential blood donors were screened for HBsAg using a rapid
test (1–2 IU ml-1sensitivity) (Determine, Abbott Laboratories). A total of 33 of the subjects were
reactive, representing a prevalence of 9.7%. Prevalence among males and females were 10.5%
and 8.9% respectively. Subjects who were between the ages of 22 and 25 years recorded the
highest reactive cases of 48%. Prevalence of 7.7%, 20.6% and 3.7% were recorded for students,
Artisans and Teachers respectively. The prevalence of prospective donors who were reactive to
HBsAg was high and consistent with other similar studies reported in literature. Hence,
screening for HBsAg should be performed on prospective blood donors before donation in the
Cape Coast metropolis in Ghana and all other places with high prevalence.
