Epidemiological surveillance and burden of serological infectious markers among adult population of New Juaben Municipality: A 6-year laboratory review from the Eastern Regional Hospital, Ghana

Abstract

Aims: The study aimed at determining the epidemiological feature and burden of infectious markers among asymptomatic adult population in Koforidua. Methods: This is a hospital-based retrospective study conducted at the Eastern Regional Hospital and comprised of a review of secondary data of prospective blood donors who visited the facility blood bank from January 2015 to December 2020. Archived data of 22,648 prospective blood donors comprising gender, age, and residential locations as well as results of infectious markers [syphilis, hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)] were retrieved from the blood bank. Prospective blood donors were screened for infectious markers using rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits. Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and syphilis were screened using Abon, Micropoint, Just check, Green life, and Accurate rapid diagnostic test kits whereas HIV was screened using First response kits. Results: The overall cumulative crude prevalence rate of blood-borne pathogens was 69.76 per 10,000, 27.45 per 10,000, 115.15 per 10,000, and 33.87 per 10,000 population for HBV, HCV, syphilis, and HIV, respectively. A prominent year-on-year decreasing trend of hepatitis B viral infection and HIV was observed in the general population. On the other hand, syphilis infection recorded an increasing trend of infection while HCV infection demonstrated a dual trend with a decrease from 2016 to 2018 and an increase till the end of 2020. Conclusion: The overall burden of transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs) was high among the populace with a prominent male gender preponderance. The rates of the infections were highly marked among the youth population within the ages of 20 to 29 years.