Seroprevalence of hepatitis D virus among blood donors with hepatitis B surface antigen at Yaounde Central Hospital, Cameroon

Background and Objectives Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) superinfection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection can cause a severe form of viral hepatitis. A nation‐wide general population study in Cameroon in 2018 showed a high seroprevalence of 46.7% (901/1928) of HDV among hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers. However, there is a lack of published data on the seroprevalence of HDV among the HBV‐positive blood donor population in Cameroon. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of HDV among blood donors positive for HBV at the Yaounde Central Hospital. Materials and Methods First‐time blood donors were screened for HBsAg between June and November 2022 using a rapid test (DIASPOT), followed by an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Fortress diagnostics) if the rapid test was negative. HBsAg‐positive samples were further screened for anti‐HDV by ELISA (HDVAb, DIAPRO, DAB.CE). Results Of the 195 blood donors who tested positive for HBsAg, 91 (46.7%) were positive by the rapid test, whereas 104 (53.3%) were negative by the rapid test but positive by ELISA. Anti‐HDV was detected in 39 (20%) of samples. Anti‐HDV reactivity was associated with the HBsAg screening method ( p < 0.05). Conclusion The burden of HDV/HBV infection among asymptomatic blood donors in the Yaounde region of Cameroon is of concern.