DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2018.v06i06.019

Pages: 2408-2411

Worldwide more than 130 million people are chronically infected by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis (HCV) C virus are endemic in India and have an etiological role in acute hepatitis, 50 - 70% of which end up with chronic liver disease. As HIV also shares common transmission route, co-infection with hepatitis viruses appears to influence the natural history of the disease in these patient. A total of 210 patients diagnosed as chronic liver disease were screened for HBV, HCV, and HIV. Twenty-five health care workers without any evidence of chronic liver disease were also tested. Out of total 35 positive cases, 33(16.7%) of the samples were positive for HCV, 2(1%) were seropositive for Hepatitis B surface antigen and 1(0.5%) had concomitant HIV and HCV infection. In hepatitis B surface antigen positive cases, 1 (50%) had various risk factors whereas in HCV cases, 27(77%) had risk factors. The HIV seropositive case also had a risk factor. Males were more affected than females in all the infections. The most common age group involved for hepatitis b and c was between 41-60 and for HIV was between 21-30 years. The study helps us to predict the probable risk factors for Hepatitis C/hepatitis B and HIV infection in western Punjab.