Prevalence of triple viral infections of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C among tuberculosis patients and associated risk factors: The case of West Arsi Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B and C infections are serious public health problems in Ethiopia. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of triple viral infections and associated factors among tuberculosis patients who were on anti-tuberculosis treatment in the year 2011/12 in West Arsi Zone, Ethiopia. A cross sectional study design was conducted among 374 TB patients who were on first line anti-TB treatment. Simple random sampling technique was employed to draw the study subjects until the calculated sample size was achieved. Blood samples were collected to determine the HIV serostatus by rapid HIV testing kits; whereas the hepatitis B and C sero-status was determined by instant one step HBsAg and Flavicheck-HCV WB kits, respectively. Socio-demographic and risk factors information was collected and analysed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Injection drug users were excluded from this study. From a total of 374 tuberculosis patients enrolled, TB-HIV co-infection was found to be 56 (14.97%) among which 5 (8.92%) hepatitis B and 4 (7.14%) were hepatitis C triple infected. The overall TB-HIV-Hepatitis triple infection prevalence was 2.4% (9/374). Though the current level of triple viral infections among TB patients seems to be low, an integrated program for treatment, prevention and control strategy is crucial to be considered in TB patient management.

Sero-prevalence of Hepatitis B and C virus and High Risk of Hepatotoxicity among TB/HIV Positive and HIV Negative Population in Western Cameroon

“…The prevalence of VHC infection among general population was reported as 4.3%-29.7% [37]. However, it was lower than that obtained from previous studies done by Reis [30,[38][39][40][41]43,44]. The proportion of VHC/TB co-infection was found to be higher in males (3.17%) than females (1.06%).…”

“…other groups although the difference was not signifi cant (P=0.3128). The age groups[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35], 30 (41.1%) and[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55], 34 (46.6%) were the most infected with HIV although the difference was not signifi cant (P=0.197). There were more patients with primary level of education, 4 (50.00%) positive to VHB compared to other groups although the difference was not signifi cant (P=0.098).…”

Hepatitis B and C virus infections and associated factors among HIV-positive and HIV-negative tuberculosis patients in public health facilities, Northeast Ethiopia: A comparative cross-sectional study

“…This might be because these infections share a common mode of acquisition. 21 , 38 In addition to the modes of transmission, HIV and HBV coinfections are common and potentiate each other 39 ; and HIV also poses an increased risk of reactivation of previously existing asymptomatic and chronic HBV and HCV infections 39 in relation to immune suppression which may exacerbate the disease progression. HIV has been a risk factor for the reactivation of HBV in patients with severe immunodeficiency, 40 because impairment of cellular immunity allows HBV to replicate more readily.…”

“…A pretested structured questionnaire adopted from literatures 10 , 16 , 18 , 21 , 31 ( Supplemental File 1 ) was used to collect sociodemographic, clinical, behavioral, and/or risky behaviors characteristics of the study participants. Data collectors such as nurses and laboratory technologists were trained on how to collect data, specimen collection, and manage the overall activities.…”

“…Due to similar routes of transmission, coinfection of HIV with hepatitis (B and C) had substantial clinical effects due to the complicated clinical path, case management, and HIV therapy and vice versa. 21 – 23…”