Seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C in asymptomatic blood donors in Saudi Arabia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Authors

Mohammad S Alzahrani, Majed A Algarni, Safa Boujemaa

Published in

Transfusion medicine (Oxford, England). Jul 31, 2026. Epub Jul 31, 2026.

Abstract

Viral hepatitis remains a serious risk to transfusion safety, despite being considerably reduced by donor screening. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of HBV and HCV among asymptomatic blood donors in Saudi Arabia in the past 15 years (2010-2025). A literature search has been conducted on seven databases. Prevalence rates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled via a random effects model. Twelve studies, examining 597 820 blood donors, were included in this study. The overall pooled prevalence rate of HBV and HCV among blood donors was 0.455% (95% CI: 0.334%-0.619%) and 0.195% (95% CI: 0.130%-0.292%), respectively. Although a high heterogeneity was detected across studies (I² >80%, p = 0.000), sensitivity analysis revealed strong reliability, and no publication bias was detected. Subgroups and meta-regression analyses demonstrated that publication period, geographic location, and diagnostic methods were the main factors contributing to heterogeneity in prevalence estimates for HBV and HCV. According to our findings, the prevalence of positive blood donors for HBV and HCV is low across Saudi Arabia. We suggest that vaccination campaigns and public education regarding the modes of transmission should be improved in order to reduce the prevalence of blood-borne viruses.

PMID:
42538138
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 01 Aug 2026.

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