Scientific Journal of

  Abstract

 Background and Objectives

  Transfusion transmitted diseases (TTD) are of great concern because of their high mortality and morbidity rate among blood recipients HBV, HCV and HIV are of the infectious agents playing an important role in this regard.

 Materials and Methods 

  A cross-sectional study was conducted for estimation of TTD among blood donors in Tasoua and Ashoura (2003) in Moharram month, that is a religious month for Muslims, especially Shiites, and for evaluation of the motivation of 441 donors for blood donation. To this end, a questionnaire including 51 questions were prepared to be filled out by donors.

 Results

  HBsAg positive and HCV Ab positive prevalence rates were respectively 1.4 and 0.2%. Majority of donors have religious motivation (92%) but a minority cut their heads with dagger as a religious practice. 83% of HBsAg positive donors had a history of blood donation in the past.

 Conclusions

  Because common daggers may be used among religious people, probability of TTD can be high in these groups. Majority of HBsAg positive donors had a history of blood donation in the past and for an unknown reason probability of TTD in repeat donors was higher than first time donors.

  The prevalence of HBsAg positive and HCVAb positive in ordinary blood donors in Ardabil Blood Transfusion Center is lower than their prevalence rate in Tasoua and Ashoura donors.