M. Chindo1, Ibrahim I. A. A.2 and Yusuf A. J.3
Co-infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected individuals’ results in increased hepatic complications. This study was carried out to compare the prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus co-infection with HIV and non-HIV patients. Two hundred (200) HIV positive and fifty (50) HIV negative patients were involved (male and females). The patients with age range from 5-75years attending Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi were examined. One step rapid immunochromatographic test strips were used for both HIV and hepatitis screening. The results obtained showed the highest prevalence of HBV co-infection with HIV to be (35%) and HCV/HIV (32%) within the age group 26-45 years while there was 30% prevalence of HBV and HCV without HIV within the age of 16-25 years. The highest prevalence with respect to occupation for HCV/HIVco-infection (40%) and HIV/HCV co-infection (31%) was among commercial drivers and generally those without HIV but with HBV or HCV was (32%) among the civil servants. Distribution of HBV and HCV co-infection among HIV patients with respect to gender indicated a higher prevalence of (40%) and (56%) among male and female respectively. This result indicates a milestone in human virology and an important clinical profile of HIV in Nigeria