Epidemiological Profile and Seroprevalence of Blood-Borne Pathogens Among 75,910 Donors at the Central Blood Bank of Tobruk, Libya

Abstract

Background: Ensuring blood transfusion safety requires routine screening for transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs), including hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and syphilis. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of these infections among blood donors at the Central Blood Bank in Tobruk, Libya, over the five years from 2021 to 2025. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 75,910 blood donors who attended the Central Blood Bank in Tobruk City between 2021 and 2025. All donors were screened for HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis using standardized serological assays. Data were extracted from the blood bank information system database.
Results: Of 75,910 donors, 74,230 (97.9%) were male, and 1,680 (2.21%) were female. The mean age was 35.02 years with a standard deviation of 10.83 years. The most frequent blood group was O (34.54%), followed by A (32.41%), B (22.51%), and AB (10.55%), with 80.24% being Rh positive. Of 71,175 screened donors, 148 (0.208%) were seropositive for at least one TTI. HBV had the highest prevalence (0.093%; n = 66), followed by HCV (0.076%; n = 54), syphilis (0.031%; n = 22), and HIV (0.008%; n = 6). Yearly HBV rates ranged from 0.061% to 0.171%; HCV from 0.044% to 0.121%; syphilis from 0.008% to 0.082%; and HIV from 0.000% to 0.030%. No co-infections were detected. Conclusion: The seroprevalence of HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis among Tobruk blood donors was very low. Nonetheless, rigorous donor selection and screening remain essential to ensure recipient safety and prevent transfusion-transmitted infections.