Prevalence of Hepatitis B and C and blood donors

Authors

• Syed R. Mehdi, Department of Laboratory Medicine, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Buraidah, Qaseem, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail: riaz_mehdi{at}hotmail.com
• Avinash Pophali, Department of Laboratory Medicine, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Buraidah, Qaseem, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Screening for hepatitis B and C is routinely carried out in the blood banks. The purpose of this study is to compare the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen and anti hepatitis C among Saudi and non-Saudi blood donors. METHODS: All the blood donors visiting King Fahad Specialist Hospital were screened by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay technique for hepatitis B surface antigen and anti hepatitis C. Donors with any history of jaundice in the past were eliminated from the study. RESULTS: Egyptians showed a very high prevalence of Hepatitis C. Saudis had a higher prevalence of hepatitis B compared to hepatitis C. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hepatitis B and C among Saudis of Qaseem region is low, while for Egyptians the results correspond to previous studies.

Article Type

Research Article

First Page

942

Last Page

944

Recommended Citation

Mehdi, Syed R. and Pophali, Avinash (2000) "Prevalence of Hepatitis B and C and blood donors," Saudi Medical Journal: Vol. 21: Iss. 10, Article 8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15537/1658-3175.1280