The prevalence of dual human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus (HIV/HCV) infection in asymptomatic pregnant women in Benin City, Nigeria.

Concerted efforts have been made to combat HIV infection in Nigerian. By contrast, much less attention has been paid to hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection. These viruses have similar immuno-epidemiology. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of HCV/HIV dual infection among 269 antenatal attendees at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital in southern Nigeria. The study was prospective and cross-sectional and consisted of the analysis of the sera of the participants for anti-HCV and HIV antibodies using ELISA. The result showed that 1.86% samples were HCV antibodies positive while 8.30% were seropositive for HIV-1 antibodies. There were no cases of dual infections. The HIV positive women and their babies had antiretroviral therapy. We conclude that dual HCV/HIV infection in pregnancy in Nigeria may be uncommon but suggest multicenter studies to determine the national prevalence while initiating strategies for their prevention.