Hepatitis B and HIV co-infection in South Africa: Just treat it!
Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Hepatitis B and HIV co-infection in South Africa: Just treat it! | |
| Creator | Firnhaber, Cynthia S Ive, Prue | |
| Description | There are an estimated 350 million hepatitis B carriers worldwide. The prevalence of mono-infection with hepatitis B in South Africa has been estimated at approximately 10% for the rural population and 1% in urban areas. The transmission routes of hepatitis B and HIV are similar, but hepatitis B is more efficient. Co-infection with HIV and hepatitis B is therefore not unusual. Recent studies have shown that the prevalence of HIV/HBV co-infection (using HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) as a marker for HBV) in South Africa ranges from 4.8% to 17%, depending on the population studied.The guidelines for the South African HIV Comprehensive Care, Management and Treatment (CCMT) programme do not include viral hepatitis studies. Hepatitis B serology is usually done only if serum aminotransferases are evaluated in the absence of another known cause (e.g. tuberculosis and concomitant medications). The clinical sequelae of HIV/HBV co-infection are multiple and can cause an increase in morbidity and mortality. Awareness of HBV/HIV co-infection with appropriate diagnosis and management is imperative for improved care of our HIV patients. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2009-03-23 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/sajhivmed.v10i1.998 | |
| Source | Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine; Vol 10, No 1 (2009); 4 2078-6751 1608-9693 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/998/1486
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