Incidence of Hepatitis C Virus infection and the potential predictors among patients with diabetes mellitus in the Bamenda Regional Hospital in Cameroon

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infections are a global major public health threat. Their co-infections and associated risk factors have been postulated in many countries, unfortunately, no such data exist in Cameroon. This study aims to determine the prevalence and possible predictors of HCV among DM patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among DM patients at Regional Hospital Bamenda from February to June 2020. Blood samples were collected and tested for the presence of HCV. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Results: The study comprised 193 participants. The mean (Std. error) age and random blood sugar level of the participants were 46.12(0.9) years and 134.15(4.07) g/dl respectively. HCV prevalence was 3.11% (6). The distribution of HCV infection did not show any significant difference with social demographic factors (p > 0.05). Similarly, HCV was insignificantly (p > 0.05) higher in patients with T2DM 6(3.4%), those with disease duration >5 years 4(4.4%), and those receiving injectable drugs 2(9.1%). Possible predictors (p<0.05) of HCV identified in this study include; uncontrolled diabetes (7.4%), family history of diabetes (19.2%), hepatitis 2(15.4%), alcohol intake (7.6%), multiple sex partners (6.5%), sharing sharp objects (9.1%), those with Tattoos (9.4%), scarification marks (3.6%), as well as those who have been hospitalized (6.7%), or received blood transfusion (25.0%) at least once. Conclusion: HCV testing and linkage to care among DM patients should be made imperative in order to design effective treatment and prevention programs that will reduce the morbidity and mortality rates.