Seroprevalence and Temporal Trends of Syphilis Among Blood Donors at Dhiraj Blood Bank in Waghodia, Gujarat, India: A Retrospective Study.
- 1Pathology, Smt. B.K. Shah Medical Institute and Research Centre, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth Deemed to Be University, Piparia, IND.
- 2Microbiology, Prasad Medical College and Hospital, Unnao, IND.
- 3Pathology, Dr. N.D. Desai Medical College, Dharamsinh Desai University, Nadiad, IND.
Abstract
Background
Syphilis remains an important transfusion-transmitted infection (TTI) despite improvements in donor selection and blood screening practices. Continuous surveillance among blood donors is essential for ensuring transfusion safety and monitoring disease trends.Objective
To determine the seroprevalence and temporal trends of syphilis among blood donors at a tertiary care blood bank in Gujarat, India.Materials and method
A retrospective, record-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Dhiraj Blood Bank, Dhiraj General Hospital, Waghodia, Gujarat, India. Blood donor records from January 2023 to July 2025 were reviewed. All eligible voluntary and replacement blood donors who underwent routine screening were included. Initial screening for syphilis was performed using the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test (VDRL), and reactive samples were confirmed using Syphi Microlisa, a qualitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies to Treponema pallidum. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and seroprevalence was expressed as percentages.Results
A total of 7,471 blood donations were screened during the study period. 111 (1.49%) samples were reactive by VDRL, of which 45 (40.5%) were reactive on Syphi Microlisa, yielding an overall syphilis seroprevalence of 0.60%. The annual seroprevalence was 0.85% in 2023, 0.08% in 2024, and 0.90% in 2025 (up to July), showed variation across the study years. More than half of the VDRL-reactive samples were non-reactive on Syphi Microlisa, highlighting the importance of appropriate second-step treponemal testing.Conclusion
Syphilis continues to be detected among apparently healthy blood donors, emphasizing the need for sustained donor screening and surveillance. The combined use of VDRL and confirmatory ELISA improves diagnostic accuracy and supports safe transfusion practices. Regular monitoring of seroprevalence trends and strengthening blood safety measures remain essential for preventing TTIs.
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BibTeX
@article{gosai2026seroprevalence,
title = {{Seroprevalence and Temporal Trends of Syphilis Among Blood Donors at Dhiraj Blood Bank in Waghodia, Gujarat, India: A Retrospective Study.}},
author = {Devanshi Gosai and Falak Modi and Nisha J Parmar and Khusbu Chhaya},
journal = {Cureus},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.7759/cureus.116628},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909999},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Seroprevalence and Temporal Trends of Syphilis Among Blood Donors at Dhiraj Blood Bank in Waghodia, Gujarat, India: A Retrospective Study.
AU - Devanshi Gosai
AU - Falak Modi
AU - Nisha J Parmar
AU - Khusbu Chhaya
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/21
JO - Cureus
DO - 10.7759/cureus.116628
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909999
AB - Background Syphilis remains an important transfusion-transmitted infection (TTI) despite improvements in donor selection and blood screening practices. Continuous surveillance among blood donors is essential for ensuring transfusion safety and monitoring disease trends.Objective To determine the seroprevalence and temporal trends of syphilis among blood donors at a tertiary care blood bank in Gujarat, India.Materials and method A retrospective, record-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Dhiraj Blood Bank, Dhiraj General Hospital, Waghodia, Gujarat, India. Blood donor records from January 2023 to July 2025 were reviewed. All eligible voluntary and replacement blood donors who underwent routine screening were included. Initial screening for syphilis was performed using the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test (VDRL), and reactive samples were confirmed using Syphi Microlisa, a qualitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies to Treponema pallidum. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and seroprevalence was expressed as percentages.Results A total of 7,471 blood donations were screened during the study period. 111 (1.49%) samples were reactive by VDRL, of which 45 (40.5%) were reactive on Syphi Microlisa, yielding an overall syphilis seroprevalence of 0.60%. The annual seroprevalence was 0.85% in 2023, 0.08% in 2024, and 0.90% in 2025 (up to July), showed variation across the study years. More than half of the VDRL-reactive samples were non-reactive on Syphi Microlisa, highlighting the importance of appropriate second-step treponemal testing.Conclusion Syphilis continues to be detected among apparently healthy blood donors, emphasizing the need for sustained donor screening and surveillance. The combined use of VDRL and confirmatory ELISA improves diagnostic accuracy and supports safe transfusion practices. Regular monitoring of seroprevalence trends and strengthening blood safety measures remain essential for preventing TTIs.
SN - 2168-8184
ER -