Background: Hepatitis C is an infectious disease of the liver caused by the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) resulting to a chronic Hepatitis. Chronic HCV infection constitutes a serious health challenge in places where prevalence is substantial. In Nigeria, there is a high risk because donor blood is not routinely screened for HCV. Patients with sickle cell anaemia (SCA) are considered a subset of the population at higher risk of acquiring the virus, due to their frequent needs for transfusion of blood and its products. However, the magnitude of HCV infection has not been adequately measured in our general population and specific data on HCV in SCA patients are scanty, hence a prospective case controlled study to determine the prevalence of HCV antibodies in transfused SCA patients attending the sickle cell anaemia clinic in the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Ilorin was taken. Objective: To determine the prevalence of Hepatitis C virus antibodies among transfused children with SCA in Ilorin. Subjects and Method: Eighty two transfused SCA children aged 6 months to 14 years were recruited consecutively from February 2008 to January 2009 while eighty four non transfused SCA children of the same age range recruited over the same period served as controls. Hepatitis C virus antibody screening was done using a second generation ELISA method. Results: The overall prevalence of HCV antibody was 3.0%, while it was 3.7% and 2.4% in the transfused and non transfused SCA patients respectively (χ 2 = 0.23, p = 0.68). The patients were also comparable across the social class when subcategorized into high and low social class (χ 2 = 0.37, p = 1.00 (subjects), χ 2 = 0.42, p = 1.00 (controls). Conclusion: The prevalence of Hepatitis C virus antibodies in transfused SCA patients is low. The difference in prevalence between transfused and nontransfused SCA patient was not statistically significant. This was cautiously interpreted due to the hospital based premise of the work. Therefore, Hepatitis C virus antibody acquisition might be from sources other than transfusion of unscreened blood.

Viral hepatitis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major disease of serious public health concerns commonly encountered in developing countries. It remains an important cause of chronic liver disease and liver cancer worldwide. Presence of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in the blood indicates an infection with HBV. Patients with Sickle cell anemia (SCA), a common hematological disorder in Nigeria, may have complications that require blood transfusion thus exposing them to the risk. This study therefore determined the prevalence of Hepatitis B surface antigen among transfused children with Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA) in Ilorin. One hundred and ten transfused SCA children aged 6 months to 14 years with age matched controls were recruited consecutively over a one year period, from February 2008 to January 2009. Hepatitis B surface antigen screening was done using a second generation ELISA method. The overall prevalence was 17.7%. There was statistically significant difference in the HBsAg positivity among transfused (23.6%) when compared to non transfused SCA children (11.8%) (p = 0.03). The risk of HBV infection increased with increase in number of transfusion. More subjects in the lower social class were positive than their control counterparts (p = 0.07). Transfused SCA patients belong to a high risk group for hepatitis B virus infection compared to the non-transfused population. The risk of HBV infection acquisition increased with higher number of transfusions and the high prevalence of HBsAg among children with SCA in Ilorin is related to blood transfusion. It is therefore recommended that adequate screening be done always before transfusion is undertaken.

Background: Hepatitis C is an infectious disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) resulting to a chronic hepatitis. Chronic HCV infection constitutes a serious public health challenge in Nigeria where donor blood is not routinely screened for HCV. Patients with sickle cell anaemia (SCA) are considered a subset of the population at higher risk of acquiring the virus, due to their frequent needs for transfusion of blood and its products. Other risk factors like scarification markings, tattooing, and circumcision also predispose children to acquiring this infection. However, the magnitude of HCV infection has not been adequately measured in our general population and specific data on HCV in SCA patients are scanty, hence a prospective case controlled study to determine the risk factors that predispose to the acquisition of hepatitis C Virus infection. Objective: To determine the risk factors for Hepatitis C Virus Antibody Seropositivity among transfused children with SCA in Ilorin. Subjects and Method: Eighty two transfused SCA children aged 6 months to 14 years were recruited consecutively from February 2008 to January 2009 while eighty four non transfused SCA children of the same age range recruited over the same period served as controls. Hepatitis C virus Antibody screening was done using a second generation ELISA method. Information on the study population were collected by use of a pretested questionnaire by the investigator. Results: There was a positive correlation between numbers of units of blood transfused and seropositivity. Those who had three or more units of blood had a prevalence rate of more than 50%. There was a strong correlation between seropositivity and scarification marks in both subjects and controls (p=0.001 and 0.02 respectively). Other plausible risk factors for hepatitis C infection tested in this study included circumcision and sharing of clippers which showed no statistically significant difference. No cases of tattooing, drug abuse, needle sharing or sexual activities were seen in this study. Conclusion: Transfused SCA patients belong to a high risk group for hepatitis C virus infection compared to the nontransfused population. The risk of acquisition increases with higher number of transfusions and scarifications marks.