Seroprevalence and Molecular Characterization of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Among School Children in Asokoro Village Abuja, Nigeria

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) suppresses host immunity and can therefore predispose to opportunistic and other infections, including HCV infection. HIV and HCV have emerged as one of the most formidable challenges to public health. Children in rural communities are exposed to the risk of these viral infections. This study aimed at determining the seroprevalence of HCV and HIV Co-infection seroprevalence among school pupils in Asokoro village Abuja. A total of one hundred and twenty-four (124) whole blood samples of children aged 1- 17 years were randomly collected across the community. Samples were screened using HIV Determine kit and one time HCV rapid test strip for HIV and HCV respectively. Positive samples for HIV were further analysed using HIV Unigold test kit and HIV 1 and 2 stat pak test kit while HCV seropositivity was confirmed using PCR. Results were computed statistically by percentage. Result shows that the seroprevalence of HIV among the children studied is 5% (6/124), while that of HCV is 14% (18/124) among the study population. Co-infection of HIV/HCV was not observed among participants in the study population. The molecular characterization of HIVs4 sample revealed that it is closely related to AF069943.1 HIV-1 isolate with 2,538 bp genomic DNA obtained in 1995 from a hospitalized individual from Maiduguri, Borno state, Nigeria. The molecular analysis revealed the presence of HCV C, genotype 1b. Children in the study area displayed a higher prevalence of HCV than HIV. This is a threat to public health as there are scientific proofs that HCV can be transmitted through contact with infected body sweat. HIV positive children are likely to be co-infected with HCV. There is urgent need to prevent the risk of transmission to the non-infected individual by teaching HIV and HCV as part of health education in the schools around the vicinity and also by creating awareness of the impact of these diseases in the community.

HIV; Hepatitis C; prevalence; Children

Okolo U.R., Opieh M. B., Obum-Nnadi C. N., Seroprevalence and Molecular Characterization of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Among School Children in Asokoro Village Abuja, Nigeria. Int. J. Med. Healthc. Res., 2023, 1(2), doi: 10.58531/ijmhr/1/2/2