Abstract
BACKGROUND: Transfusion Transmitted Malaria is a major concern among blood donors in endemic countries. The Drugs and Cosmetic Act 1940 in India mandated testing of all blood donations for Malaria. Regular screening of malaria prevents severe transfusion-transmitted malaria, and shows its prevalence and enables its control among the population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a 09-year retrospective observational study from 1 st August 2014 to 31 st July 2023 among apparently healthy blood donors in Blood Centre of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Jharkhand, a tertiary health care centre in tribal population-dominant region of India. Every donor's sample is subjected to a malaria antigen test both for Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax by One step, rapid, immunochromatographic test. Positive result by rapid diagnostic Antigen card tests were also analysed by microscopy (peripheral blood smear). RESULTS: In the present study, the total number of blood units collected was 246,147. On screening of the total blood donors, 62,225 (25.27%) were voluntary donors and 183,942 (74.72%) were replacement donors. There were 2,27,731 (92.51%) male donors and 18,416 (7.48%) female donors. Among all the donors, only 61 (0.024%) malaria-positive donors were seen, all male. CONCLUSION: Malaria transmission is strictly monitored and controlled by governments in endemic regions. In addition to the direct spread by mosquito bites, malaria can also be transmitted by transfusion as blood is transfused mainly as whole blood in developing countries. The transmission by transfusion of blood remains a challenge to blood centres because of carriers of malaria in the population in endemic regions like Jharkhand, India. This is first long retrospective observational study of prevalence of malaria among apparently healthy blood donors in a tertiary care centre in Northeastern tribal region of India. It gives a rough idea of the effectiveness of various malaria control programs in remote, malaria-endemic regions.