Seroprevalence of human cytomegalovirus in blood donors

TL;DR

This study finds a 64.6% CMV antibody prevalence in Indian blood donors, highlighting the need for screening and preventive measures to reduce transfusion-transmitted CMV.

Contribution

The study provides new seroprevalence data for CMV in Indian blood donors and suggests targeted screening strategies to reduce transfusion-transmitted CMV.

Findings

64.6% of blood donors tested positive for CMV IgG antibodies.

No donors tested positive for CMV IgM antibodies.

CMV IgG positivity was higher in individuals aged ≥26 and in low socioeconomic status donors.

Abstract

Transfusions of blood are a vital component of medical treatment. On the other hand, infections linked to transfusions are possible risks. Blood collection, processing, and testing to ensure safety precautions are taken to reduce the chance of transfusion-transmitted illnesses are important.

The cytomegaly virus (CMV) is transfusion-transmitted (TT) and is a major global health concern. Seropositivity rates for CMV range from 60% to 100% in the population. Among the most important infections that infect people with immunosuppression is CMV.

The present study was conducted in response to the growing demand for CMV-free blood products and to determine the prevalence of CMV antibodies among consenting blood donors. In India, there is a paucity of research on this topic, and the present study is intended to help fill the resulting knowledge gap.

This prospective study was carried out in the blood bank of the Pathology Department of Sree Balaji Medical College in Chromepet, Chennai, from 2022 to 2024, after ethics approval was obtained. A total of 116 willing blood donors were chosen.

The tests were performed with a chemiluminescence kit for the detection of IgG and IgM.

Eighty-eight (88; 76.0%) of the 116 donors were men, and 28 (24%) were women. The blood donors’ ages were distributed as follows: 1.2% >40 years of age, 4.3% were 36 to 39, 8.2% were 31 to 35, 19.1% were 26 to 30, and 34.1% were 18 to 20 years of age. Seventy-five (75) people tested positive and 41 tested negative for IgG, yielding a 64.6% total CMV prevalence rate. In accordance with the CLIA regulations, none of the 116 blood donors had CMV IgM antibody reactivity. Individuals ≥26 years showed an increased prevalence of IgG positivity. Among the IgG serology-positive individuals, the number of males who showed positivity was 68 (64.76%), whereas only 7 females (63.63%) did so. 40% of IgG serology-positive donors had a high socioeconomic status [SES], 66.3% were of middle SES, and those donors of low SES were 100% IgG serology-positive.

The prevalence points to an endemic infection, which may be related to factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status. IgM anti-CMV antibodies were absent in all donors. Therefore, because of the high cost and scarcity of IgM antibody-positive donors, immunoglobulin M anti-CMV antibody screening can be limited to high-risk recipients. Leucocyte-depleted cellular blood products and the selection of CMV-IgG and CMV-IgM-negative donors are two prophylactic approaches to lower the seroprevalence of transfusion-transmitted (TT)-CMV. Thus, our study highlights the importance of screening for CMV at blood banks, the need to assess risk factors for TT-CMV, and the need to take preventive action.

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