Background. Prevention of the residual risk of transfusion transmitted hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) is mostly dependant on serological screening of blood donors for HBsAg and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc Ab). This study aimed to study the prevalence of HBsAg and anti-HBc Ab and to compare the profile of blood donors attending a blood donation camp and people attending a hospital based camp. Methods. In the blood donor camp, all the blood units were screened for HBV, (HBsAg and anti-HBc), and in the hospital based camp, screening was done for HBsAg alone. Baseline demographic characteristics were noted. Results. The number of blood bank donors was 363 (47.5%) and hospital camp attendees was 402 (52.5%). Prevalence of HBsAg positivity was similar in both the groups at 1.7% and 1.9%, respectively. Anti-HBc Ab positivity (Total) was 6% among the blood donors; Overall prevalence of HBV infection in this group was 3.2%. Conclusion. Policy for checking the collected blood unit by 3 tests for anti-HBc, anti-HBsAb, and HBsAg should be reconsidered to possibly achieve the zero risk goal of transfusion transmitted HBV infection. Blood obtained from a vaccinated donor may give an added protection to the recipient. 1. Introduction Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the most common cause for chronic liver disease (CLD) in the developing countries. The virus is known to be highly infective and is associated with long-term morbidity and mortality due to complications like cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in India varies from 1 to 13 percent, with an average of 4.7 percent [1–6]. Community-based prevalent studies in a selective population in Tamil Nadu state have shown prevalence of HBV infection in adults to be 27.4% and 32.7% in the younger age group (15 to 20 years) [7]. In another single community-based study from North India, consisting of 730 subjects (rural = 543; urban = 187), HBsAg was positive in 15 (2.1%) and anti-HBc in 143 (19.5%); 10 were positive for both. The overall HBV exposure rate in the population was 20.3% (148/730). The HBsAg carrier rate was similar in the urban and rural populations (1.5% and 2.3%, and not significant), and anti-HBc positivity was lower in the urban population (8.5% versus 23.3%; ) [8]. Transmission of HBV infection through donated blood ranges from 1.2% to 1.7%. In the developing world, it is one of the major concerns in the field of transfusion medicine [9–11]. Most blood banks seldom screen for anti-HBc in the blood
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