Prevalence and Incidence of Syphilis among Volunteer Blood Donors in Israel

Abstract

Data of 1,290,222 volunteer blood donors, in a 5-year period, was analyzed for prevalence and incidence of syphilis. Subsequent testing of donations positive in Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay included Venereal Disease Research Laboratory and fluorescent Treponemal antibody absorption. Stepwise logistic regression model was used to identify positive syphilis serology. Prevalence of syphilis was 47 : 100,000, similar in men and women and increased significantly with age (P < 0.001). Native Israelis had the lowest prevalence rate of syphilis (21 : 100,000), while a significantly higher prevalence was found among immigrants from Africa, Eastern Europe, and South America (odds ratios of 19.0, 10.8, and 7.3, resp., P < 0.001 for each). About 33.2% of the seropositive donors had evidence of recent infection, and 66.8% had past infections. Incidence rate reached 8 : 100,000 person-years. Coinfection with HIV, HCV, and HBV was calculated as 8%, 1.88%, and 0.37% for positive donations, respectively. The data support the need to continue screening blood donors in Israel for syphilis and employ preventive measures to populations at risk, in order to improve public health, blood safety, and quality. A subsequent study to assess blood donors' knowledge, attitude, and behavior is planned. In times of global migration this information may be useful to blood services worldwide.

Evaluation of positive and false‐positive results in syphilis screening of blood donors in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

“…Older subjects were more likely to test positive for syphilis. This finding agrees with another study that raised the possibility that this association is related to an increase in primary and secondary syphilis in this population (Vera et al ., ). Another explanation may be the presence of immunological memory antibodies of past syphilis in older people (de Almeida Neto et al ., ).…”

Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Human immunodeficiency virus and syphilis frequency among blood donors: A single center study

“…After syphilis has become a part of routine screening tests in blood banks and implementing of refrigerator storage of blood and blood products in routine practice, the number of transfusion-transmitted syphilis cases was considerably decreased [1,36]. Thus, the need of routine syphilis screening in blood donors is controversial in current practice.…”

Syphilis in blood donors: Pre-transfusion serological screening by Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) Test at the blood bank of a Teaching Medical Institute in North Gujarat, India

“…12,19 However, in some poorly developed and developing countries, it is still highly prevalent. 4,13,14,32,33 Seroprevalence rate of Syphilis among blood donors ranged from 0% to 12.7% across the world 3,4,13,14,[19][20][21][32][33][34][35] (Table 4). In India it ranges from 0.03% to 2.6% in different states 11,15,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]36,37 (Table 5).…”

“…27,29,30,31 Countries like Tanzania and Ghana showed very high prevalence 32,33 while lower in Sri Lanka, Egypt, Israel. 3,34,35 Multiple sexual partners and growing incidence of intravenous drug abuse can be the reasons behind high prevalence while strict donor selection criteria, increased public awareness, selfexclusion of high risk groups from blood donation etc. behind lower prevalence.…”