SEROSURVEILLANCE OF HIV P-24 ANTIGEN AND ANTIBODIES IN IKARE AKOKO, ONDO STATE

Blood transfusion is one of the routine therapeutic interventions in hospitals that can be lifesaving. However. thisintervention is related to several transfusion-related infections.The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the major public health problems associated with blood transfusion. This study assessed the prevalence of HIV P24 antigen and antibody among 90 prospective blood donors at State Specialist Hospital (SSH) Ikare, Ondo state.Using the ELISA technique, samples were screened using fourth generation Elisa Kit,positive and negative controls were treated alongside in adherence to manufacturer's instructions and the optical densities were read with ELISA Reader from Human Diagnostics Limited. Data retrieved from the questionnaires administered to the participants and the results were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS version 25.0; to determine frequency,central tendencies, variation and relationship between variables by chi-square test. The findings revealed that the prevalence of HIV among blood donors in lkare is 1.11%. The prevalence of HIV was higher among females (5.0%o) compared to males (0.0%), although this relationship was not statisticallysignificant(P=0.545).. The age range of 36 to 40 years had the highest HIV prevalence rate (5.26%) among all age groups. Commercial donors had a higher prevalence rate of HIV (14.29%) compared to relative and voluntary donors (P=0.237). Regarding risky behaviors, the exposure of blood donors to potential risks was relatively low. There is therefore a need for proper screening of blood donors as well as encouraging voluntary blood donation in order to ensure the safety of transfused blood products