Prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibodies among blood donors in Omdurman region in Sudan

Infection with HCV is a major cause of transfusion-associated hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence rate of anti-HCV antibodies among voluntary blood donors attending the transfusion department at Omdurman hospitals. A cross-sectional study was conducted from 2 January to 27 March 2007. The rapid test method was used and conirmed with the ELISA (third generation). The population included 1672 Sudanese people. The age of the donors (all males) was between 18-45 years, with a mean of 36 years. Anti-HCV antibody was detected in 1.016% of the study population. The prevalence of anti -HCV among voluntary blood donors was 1.02%. Routine screening for HCV should be conducted for all blood donors before they are accepted for donation.