Screening for arboviruses in healthy blood donors: Experience from Karachi, Pakistan

Virol Sin. 2022 Oct;37(5):774-777. doi: 10.1016/j.virs.2022.07.008. Epub 2022 Jul 19.

¹ Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology & Lab Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi 74800, Pakistan.
² Blood Bank, Haematology & Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology & Lab Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi 74800, Pakistan.
³ Comparative Diagnostic and Population Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville FL32611, USA.
⁴ Center for Global Health and Infectious Disease Research, University of South Florida, Tampa FL33620, USA.
⁵ Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology & Lab Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi 74800, Pakistan. Electronic address: erum.khan@aku.edu.

Abstract

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DENV, WNV and JEV status was investigated in healthy blood donors at the Aga Khan University July to December 2018.
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ELISA for IgM antibodies and RT-PCR for viral RNA detection were performed.
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IgM antibodies for DENV and WNV were positive in 3.9% and JEV in 0.28% of the blood donors.
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Blood donors aged 19 and 30 years and residents of urban areas, of Karachi City were most frequent.
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DENV and WNV seropositivity were significantly associated with residence in Malir District of Karachi.