Seroprevalence of Syphilis among Blood Donors in Pakistan: A Study of Healthy Volunteers in Rawalpindi District

Abstract

Background: Blood transfusion, a prevalent practice in Pakistan with 3.5 million donors annually, carries a 1% risk of transfusion-transmitted infections, contributing to the transmission of infectious diseases. Syphilis, specifically, demonstrates an increasing seroprevalence.

Objective: To assess the seroprevalence of syphilis among healthy volunteer blood donors in Rawalpindi.

Study type, settings & duration: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Railway General Hospital, Rawalpindi from July to December 2023.  

Methodology: After acquiring informed consent, blood samples were collected for screening using the immunochromatographic assay (ICT) to detect specific Treponema pallidum antibodies in human serum. The Healgen Syphilis detection Kits (GCSYP-402) were employed for this purpose, offering a rapid qualitative screening for syphilis.

Results: A total of 1710 blood samples were screened using the immunochromatographic assay for detecting of Treponema pallidum antibodies. The syphilis seropositivity among donors revealed 16 (0.93%) reactive samples and 1,694 (99.07%) non-reactive samples. Males comprised 1,531 (89.54%) of the participants, with 179 (10.46%) being females. Among donors, 1,209 (70.71%) were single, and 587 (34.33%) had up to matric education. The majority of donors, 1,320 (77.20%), resided in urban areas. Statistical analysis showed no significant associations between syphilis seropositivity and age (p >0.902), gender (p >0.579), educational level (p >0.725), or residence (p >0.697). These findings provide valuable insights into the prevalence and demographic factors of syphilis among blood donors in the study.

Conclusion: Enhanced donor evaluation and screening for blood donation can boost recipient safety and curb syphilis transmission.