Introduction: Advances in screening for infections improve the safety of donated blood. Transfusion-related bacterial sepsis, although not established in Zimbabwe, stills makes bacterial contamination of blood clinically relevant. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Harare. Bacteriological and antibiotic susceptibility testing were done using standard methods. Results: Of the 196 samples analyzed, 6 (3.1%) were contaminated with bacteria. Platelets had a significantly high contamination rate compared to other blood products. Bacteria showed varying patterns of susceptibility to the antibiotics tested. Conclusions: The prevalence of bacterial contamination in blood products suggests that patients who receive blood products are at risk of developing infection.
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