Abstract:
among the same ethnic groups. Therefore, this study was aimed at having information on
the allelic and genotypic frequencies of ABO and Rh blood groups among students of
Mesela Secondary and Preparatory School, Western Hararge, Oromia, Ethiopia. A total of
400 students were voluntarily selected among students of Mesela. Blood samples were
obtained from each student who participated voluntarily in the study. The blood samples
were typed by open slide test method between February and March 2017. A drop of each
anti-serum anti- A, anti- B, and anti- D was added and observed for agglutination. There
were differences in frequency of ABO blood type alleles among students. Blood type O and
Rh-positive have the highest frequency while blood type AB and Rh-negative have the
lowest frequencies among students .In this study, the frequency distribution of blood type
O was 0.4375; followed by blood type A, 0.2750, and blood type B 0.2400, and the least
frequency was that of blood type AB which was 0.0475, Whereas, the Rh blood type
phenotypic frequencies were 0.95 for Rh positive and 0.05 for Rh negative. The
frequencies of ABO blood type alleles were found to be 0.6662, 0.1774, and 0.1564 for IO,
IA and I,B respectively. Among the ABO blood group genotypes, the most frequent were
IOIO, IAIO and IBIO occurring with frequencies of 0.4438, 0.3264 and 0.2084,
respectively. In the Rh blood group system, allele D occurred with a frequency of 0.7764
and d with a frequency of 0.2236. Homozygous Rh blood group genotype DD was the most
predominant of the three Rh genotypic classes and occurred with a frequency of 0.6028.
The implication of this finding is that blood group O is the most readily available blood
group in the study area which is more advantageous for the population in the event of
blood transfusion.
