Dengue Seropositivity among Blood Donors in a Tertiary Hospital in Kerala, Southern India

AIM: The aim of this study was to screen blood donors in a tertiary hospital in Kerala for dengue during the period of peak dengue transmission. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and seventy-eight continuous serum samples obtained from asymptomatic blood donors during the monsoon season were subjected to ELISA for Dengue NS1 antigen and dengue immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies. RESULTS: Dengue IgM antibodies were positive in 20 (11.23%) donors and NS1 antigen was positive in 1 (0.56%) donor. The presence of these markers in asymptomatic blood donors showed that they may have had active or subclinical dengue infection at the time of donation or in the recent past. The presence of NS1 in particular raises the possibility that the donor may have been viremic at the time of donation. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest the risk of transfusion transmission of dengue during the monsoon in Kerala and strengthen the case for dengue screening among blood donors during this period of high incidence.