Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Vol. 121 (Suppl. 1) 2026
Research Articles
Deferred blood donors in the state of Roraima, Brazilian Amazon: reasons for unsuitability and seroprevalence of transfusion-transmitted pathogens
1Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Epidemiologia e Sistemática Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
2Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública de Roraima, Setor de Imunologia/Parasitologia, Boa Vista, RR, Brasil
3Universidade Federal de Roraima, Centro de Estudos da Biodiversidade, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Boa Vista, RR Brasil
BACKGROUND Deferred blood donors are not targeted by any health policy.
OBJECTIVES To describe sociodemographic characteristics of unsuitable blood donors, the causes of unsuitability and compare the prevalence rates of transfusion-transmitted infections in deferred and eligible blood donors.
METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted to obtain sociodemographic data and blood samples; 8,159 donors were screened; (21.1% rejected, 78.9% approved). A sample of 212 deferred donors was established.
RESULTS Most rejected donors were female, young adults, with high school or university education, self-declared white, born in the North region and single. Main reasons for unsuitability were low hemoglobin concentration, potential exposure to malaria and risky sexual behaviour. The comparison of seropositivity rates in deferred and eligible blood donors generated the following prevalence ratios (PR) and respective 95% confidence intervals (CI): HIV, PR = 6.75 (1.46 – 31.05), p = 0.046; syphilis, PR = 1.47 (0.46 – 4.64), p = 0.463; anti-HBc, PR = 2.84 (1.24 – 6.50); p = 0.023; anti-HCV, PR = 4.67 (1.06 - 20.58), p=0,080; Chagas disease, PR = 60.75 (5.53 – 667.43), p = 0.003.
CONCLUSIONS Treating anemia in women and controlling malaria in Roraima will reduce the pool of rejected donors in the state.
+ Corresponding author: guaratiba@ioc.fiocruz.br | 
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8083-2840
Received 31 October 2025
