The prevalence of bloodborne infections (hepatitis B and C, human immunodeficiency virus) among pediatric patients with oncological and hematological diseases and immunodeficiencies

Patients with oncological and hematological diseases are at high risk of acquiring bloodborne infections due to multiple blood transfusions and frequent parenteral exposure. In order to evaluate the prevalence of bloodborne infections (i. e., hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)), we analyzed data on the seroprevalence of these viruses in patients admitted to the D. Rogachev NMRCPHOI from 2014 to 2020. We also performed a comparative analysis between these data and the prevalence of these infections in the total child population in Russia. The study was approved by the Independent Ethics Committee and the Scientific Council of the D. Rogachev NMRCPHOI. Among patients admitted to the D. Rogachev NMRCPHOI, the mean seroprevalence was 1.7% for hepatitis C, 0.2% for hepatitis B, and 0.1% for HIV. The seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C among our patients was 6 and 50 times higher than the prevalence among Russian children and adolescents, respectively. The prevalence of HIV among patients treated at the D. Rogachev NMRCPHOI was 3 times higher than that among the child and adolescent population in Russia. In patients with oncological and immunological diseases, the detection of HBV DNA, HCV RNA, and Anti-HBc is considered clinically useful and plays an important role in the diagnosis of occult hepatitis infections which cannot be identified with routine diagnostic tests. Our study with pediatric patients with oncological, hematological, and immunological diseases highlights the problem of nosocomial transmission of bloodborne pathogens. HCV transmission in medical facilities is the most pressing issue that requires the implementation of healthcare programs aimed at preventing parenteral transmission and at ensuring the safety of donated blood.