Zainab Majed Mohammed¹, Asmaa Haseeb Hwaid^1,, Zaki. M. Majed²

Introduction: Parvovirus B19 [B19V] is a small DNA virus characterized by global circulation, the route of transmission of this virus through blood and its products has alarming health dimensions, especially for recipients who have medical conditions that require blood transfusion. Objectives: This study aims to enhance the safety of blood transfused to recipients by investigating the seroprevalence of B19V IgM antibodies in donors' blood. Methodology: One hundred and eighty-eight blood samples from donors were collected from the blood transfusion center (blood bank) in Diyala Governorate, Iraq, from both sexes, and using ELISA technique, the seroprevalence rate of B19V IgM antibodies was determined. Results: Anti-B19V IgM was detected in 11.2% (21/188) of the blood donor samples tested, the highest prevalence of anti-B19V IgM antibodies appeared among the age group 30–39. Male participants in this study showed a higher prevalence of IgM antibody to B19V compared to females. This study showed the presence of co-infections between B19V and hepatitis B Core, the serological test showed that 2 (22%) of the cases positive for the B19V IgM antibodies were also positive for the anti-HBC total Antibodies. Conclusion: The current study concludes that the seroprevalence of B19V IgM antibodies among blood donors is high, and poses a risk to sero-negative recipients who have healthy conditions and need blood transfusions. There is a need to conduct more future studies with a large sample size at the serological and molecular levels in cooperation and support provided by the health institutions in the country.

Parvovirus B19 [B19V], IgM antibodies, blood donors, seroprevalence