Prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Coinfection with Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C and its Sociodemographic Correlates among Prison Inmates of Northeast India.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis are common viral infections. Given sexual, blood, and perinatal transmission routes, HIV and hepatitis can be expected to be transmitted in similar at-risk populations. Roughly 10%-20% of HIV-infected patients are expected to have hepatitis B virus (HBV) coinfection.

Materials and methods: This paper uses the data of 17 th round of HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2021 conducted in 5 prisons of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura. The 17 th round of HSS was implemented at 53 surveillance sites in prisons during 2020-21. Almost every district in the country has a HIV surveillance site for one or more of the risk groups. Five prison surveillance sites were included in this study from the state of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura.

Results: In this study, the seroprevalence of HIV monoinfection among 1996 prison inmates was 1.5% (31), HBV monoinfection was 1.25% (25), Hepatitis C virus (HCV) monoinfection was 10.77% (215), HIV and HBV coinfection was 0.15% (3), HIV and HCV coinfection was 4.71% (94), HBV and HCV coinfection was 0.35(7) and HIV, and HBV and HCV coinfection was 0.25% (5).

Conclusions: The HIV coinfection with HBV or HCV is high and a significant health threat in the prison inmates of Northeast India. Data suggest a high prevalence of HCV coinfection compared to HBV, despite the fact both viruses have common routes of transmission.