Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV-1 Coinfection in Two Informal Urban Settlements in Nairobi, Kenya

• Published in: PloS one 2015-06, Vol.10 (6), p.e0129247-e0129247
• Main Authors: Kerubo, Glennah, Khamadi, Samoel, Okoth, Vincent, Madise, Nyovani, Ezeh, Alex, Ziraba, Abdhalah, Abdalla, Ziraba, Mwau, Matilu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adult; AIDS; Analysis; Antiviral agents; Blood; Blood & organ donations; Blood transfusion; Coinfection - epidemiology; Comorbidity; Demographics; Female; Females; Ghettos; Health aspects; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B - epidemiology; Hepatitis B surface antigen; Hepatitis B vaccines; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C - epidemiology; Hepatitis C virus; HIV; HIV infections; HIV Seropositivity - epidemiology; HIV-1 - immunology; Hospitals; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Immunoglobulins; Infection; Infections; Kenya; Liver diseases; Low income groups; Male; Medical research; Middle Aged; Morbidity; Mortality; Pan-Africanism; Population; Poverty; Prevalence studies (Epidemiology); Public awareness; Public health; Slums; Statistical analysis; Statistical methods; Transfusion; Urban Population; Vaccination; Viruses; Womens health
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129247

HIV-1 and Hepatitis B and C viruses coinfection is common in Sub-Saharan Africa due to similar routes of transmission and high levels of poverty. Most studies on HIV-1 and Hepatitis B and C viruses have occurred in hospital settings and blood transfusion units. Data on Hepatitis B and C viruses and HIV-1 coinfection in informal urban settlements in Kenya are scanty, yet they could partly explain the disproportionately high morbidity and mortality associated with HIV-1 infections in these slums. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of HIV and Hepatitis B and C dual infection in urban slums in Nairobi. Blood samples were collected from residents of Viwandani and Korogocho between 2006 and 2007. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain socio-demographic data from participants. Samples were screened for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HCV and anti-HIV-1. Statistical analysis was done using STATA. Samples were successfully collected from 418 (32%) men and 890 (68%) females. The HIV-1, HBV and HCV prevalence was 20.4%, 13.3% and 0.76% respectively at the time of the study. Of the 268 (20.4%) HIV-1 positive participants, 56 (4.26%) had HBV while 6 (0.46%) had HCV. Of the 1041 HIV-1 negative participants, 117 (8.9%) had HBV while 4 (0.31%) had HCV. Only two people (0.15%) were co-infected with all the three viruses together. The odds of getting hepatitis infection were higher in HIV-1 participants (for HBV OR 2.08,p