Seroprevalence of Cytomegalovirus Infection in Blood Donors in Khorramabad

Background and Aims: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has worldwide distribution, and its prevalence rate depends on factors such as economic and geographical conditions. An important way of the virus transmission is via blood. Due to high prevalence of anti-CMV antibodies in blood donors and lack of data concerning its seroprevalence in the region, this study was carried out to determine the prevalence rate of anti-CMV antibodies in the blood donors of Khorramabad Blood Transfusion Center. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on 270 healthy donors referring to Khorramabad Blood Transfusion Center. The demographic data were recorded in the questionnaires, and following the routine screening tests, the tests of anti-CMV antibodies (IgG and IgM) were performed using the Iranian Pishtaz-teb kit through the ELISA technique. The data were analyzed by the t-test and x2 test using the SPSS software. Results: Out of 270 samples, 90% were males, and 10% were females. Anti-CMV IgG antibody was positive in 148 samples (55%), and negative in 122 ones (45%). Moreover, anti-CMV IgM antibody was negative in 269 cases (99.6%), and positive in 1 case (0.4%). Conclusion: Considering the high seroprevalence of anti-CMV antibody in Khorramabad, latency of the virus inside the blood cells, and its possible transmission via blood and blood products to blood receivers particularly in immunodeficient patients including those with malignant diseases receiving chemotherapy and recipients of allograft transplants, performing screening tests on donated blood samples for CMV infection particularly in high risk cases is recommended.