Quantification of hepatitis C virus in viremic blood donors in Iran: Need to reinforce post-donation follow up

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a public health problem and a major cause of chronic liver disease around the world. The main route of HCV transmission is contact with small quantities of infectious blood. Knowledge of the distribution of HCV viral load is essential to control HCV infection. This study aimed to investigate the HCV viral load distribution among Iranian blood donors. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 160 HCV confirmed blood donors with detectable HCV RNA who referred to blood transfusion centers for post-donation counseling all over the country. HCV RNA was quantified using an in-house one-step real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) kit. Statistical analysis was performed in STATA version 13. Results: The mean age of the participants was 37.66 years. Out of 160 subjects, 156 (97.5 %) were male. The median viral load of the subjects was 7.7 x 10(4) (range: 2.28 x 10 (3)-3.42 x 10(7) IU/mL). Out of 160 blood donors, 70 (43.75 %, 95 % CI 0.36 0.51) had a viral load <= 5 x 104 IU/mL, and 90 (56.25 %, 95 % CI: 0.49 0.64) had a viral load >5 x 104 IU/mL. Discussion: The distribution of HCV viral load among viremic blood donors emphasizes on the role of postdonation follow up in identification of blood donors potentially need for HCV anti-viral therapies.