Seroprevalence of Human Cytomegalovirus in Thalassemia Patients at Al-Muthanna province
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32792/utq/utjsci/v13i1.1513Keywords:
ELISA Test Kit, Human Cytomegalovirus, IgG, IgM, Thalassemia PatientsAbstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infects 40–100% of the global population and is usually asymptomatic. However, it can cause severe disease in immunocompromised individuals, including thalassemia patients. This study aimed to detect HCMV infection by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) among 50 thalassemia patients (31 males, 19 females) and 50 healthy blood donor controls in Al-Muthanna Governorate, Iraq, from November 2024 to April 2025. Results showed that 50% of thalassemia patients were infected with HCMV, compared to 14% in the control group. Among patients, infection was more frequent in males and most common in the 11–20-year age group (14 cases). Rural residents had a higher infection rate (32%) compared to urban ones (18%). The high prevalence among thalassemia patients may be associated with repeated blood transfusions. These findings emphasize the importance of routine HCMV screening and preventive measures for high-risk populations, particularly thalassemia patients
Received:10-12-2025
Revised: 15-01-2026
Accepted: 27-01-2026
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