Acute human cytomegalovirus infection among voluntary blood donors in
the Lake Victoria zone blood transfusion centre: should it be
considered in screening?
Background: Despite blood transfusion being a lifesaving option, it may
be associated with blood borne infections including human
cytomegalovirus(HCMV). The World Health Organization recommends
screening of blood products for HCMV before transfusion to pregnant
women, neonates and immunocompromised patients. However, this is not
routinely practised in many resource limited countries. Objective: This
study aimed at determining seroprevalence of specific HCMV IgM
antibodies among volunteered blood donors at the Lake Victoria zone
blood transfusion centre Methods: A total of 228 sera from volunteered
blood donors were analyzed using HCMV IgM \ub5 capture enzyme linked
immunosorbent assay as per manufacturer\u2019s instructions. Data were
analyzed by STATA version 13 Results: The median age of the study
participants was 19 interquartile range (IQR): 18-23 years. The
seroprevalence of specific HCMV IgM antibodies was found to be 23/228
(10.1%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 6-14. None of the factors was
found to be associated with HCMV IgM seropositivity among blood donors.
Conclusion: One out 10 blood donors in the Lake Victoria zone blood
transfusion centre is acutely infected with HCMV. There is a need to
consider screening of HCMV before blood transfusion particularly in
resource limited countries where HCMV is endemic