EPIDEMIOLOGY OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS (HCV) IN HEALTHY ADULTS AND HUMAN IMMUNODEFICENCY VIRUS (HIV) INFECTED PATIENTS IN NORTH CENTRAL ZONE, NIGERIA.

*Ya’aba Y., Mohammed S.B., Ibrahim K., Uba A. and Oladosu P.

ABSTRACT

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has each emerged as huge global epidemics. Co-infection of HIV/HCV complicates an already complex set of issues related to diagnosis, clinical disease progression, monitoring disease activity, treatment options and basic immunology. This study was aimed to determine and evaluate the prevalence of HCV among healthy adults and HIV patients accessing healthcare in North Central Zone, Nigeria. A total of 612 apparently healthy adults and 2,322 sero-positive HIV patients participated in the study at the ART clinics from June, 2013 through February, 2015. Each blood sample collected from patients were screened for the presence of antibody to HCV using rapid enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) HCV kit ACON (ACON laboratory INC) and ELISA positive samples were further subjected to third generation rapid ELISA HCV kit ORTHO HCV Version 3.0 ELISA (Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Raritan, NJ) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Socio-demographic information’s of co-infected patients were collected by the use of questionnaire. The prevalence rates for HCV among the healthy adults and HIV patients were 11 (1.8%) and 109 (4.7%) respectively and it can be noticed that there is significant difference between the two population. Having acquired knowledge on the effect of HCV co-infection, therefore there is the need to fully integrate HCV screening as a routine test in our health facilities to reduce risk of HCV related advanced liver disease in the country.

Keywords: HIV; HCV; HIV/HCV co-infection; ELISA; North Central Zone, Prevalence.