Serological and molecular detection of hepatitis B among blood donors in thi-qar province

The current study was conducted in Thi-Qar Governorate. The following tests were carried out (ELISA technology and Real-Time PCR (RT- qPCR)). This study was conducted on 11,670 donors. Using the ELISA technique, the seropositive results of the hepatitis B virus showed 118 samples with a percentage of 1.01% of the total. They were distributed among 88 samples from males and 24 samples from females, their average age 20-65, where a special form was prepared to collect the information required in the study. The positive samples that appeared in the ELISA technique were re-tested using the RT-PCR technique, where the results showed 100 positive samples, 87.7 % and 18 negative samples, 15.3%. The infection rate in urban areas reached 51 cases, with a percentage of 51.61%, while the percentage of infection among people living in rural areas was 49, at a rate of 49.39%. Also, the injuries were distributed among the age groups, with the least infection reaching a percentage of 5%. For groups older than 60 years, while groups less than 30 recorded a percentage of 15%, while age groups 31-45 recorded the highest percentage of 47%, and the age group 46-60 recorded a percentage of infection of 33% with a significant presence, The injuries were also distributed according to blood types, the highest infection was for blood type + 0 at a percentage 28.81 % and the lowest for blood type + AB at a percentage of 1.71 %, with a significant presence.