Archive | 2021
Prevalence of Hepatitis B and Tuberculosis among People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in Cameroon
Abstract
Introduction: Hepatitis B and Tuberculosis are leading causes of morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). These infections are on the rise worldwide, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to identify the presence of Hepatitis B virus and Tuberculosis among people living with HIV at the Central Hospital and Jamot Hospital in Yaounde. \nMaterials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional hospital-based descriptive study in which blood and sputum samples were collected from randomly selected 362 people living with HIV (September 2017 to March 2018). Bacteriological examination with auramine staining for the detection of Acido Alcohol Resistant Bacilli, was done. This was followed by amplification of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis sequence IS6110 by a Polymerase Chain Reaction and the strips interpreted with the aid of electrophoresis.\xa0 Serological analysis for the determination of Hepatitis B virus surface antigen was performed with the aid of a rapid diagnostic test.\xa0 Positive cases were further confirm using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data analysis was purely descriptive calculating prevalence and 95% confidence interval using SPSS\xa0 software version 22.1. \nResults: After analysis, we obtained a prevalence of 9.1%\xa0 for HIV/Tuberculosis co-infection, in which men were predominant with the prevalence of 5.2% against 0.6% in women. A seroprevalence of 13.5% for HIV/Hepatitis B co-infection was obtained, with the female sex being predominant having a prevalence of 7.7% against 5.8% in males. \nConclusion: These results demonstrate the current epidemiological situation of HIV/Hepatitis B and HIV/Tuberculosis co-infections in Cameroon. Thus, these co-infection remain a real public health problem due to the increase in co-morbidity among HIV patients, hence the need for careful and constant monitoring of these infections so as to ensure better management.