Background: Hepatitis virus infection is one of the most prevalent public health problems in developing countries. Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) viruses are main causative agents of chronic liver disease. This co-infection has been detected among patients with severe chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and inactive HBV infection. Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection occurs either as a co-infection or super-infection in HBV carriers. Early screening of clinically diagnosed cases of viral hepatitis is essential for establishing diagnosis and treatment to prevent long term sequelae. About 380 million persons worldwide carry HBV and among them 5% have delta hepatitis. In association with HBV, HDV produces significantly more severe illness than HBV alone. Hepatic encephalopathy and fulminant hepatic failure were also common in HBV and HDV infected patients compared to those with HBV alone.

Aims and Objectives: To find the rate of prevalence of HCV and HDV co-infections in patients with HBV infection in a tertiary care hospital. To do a comparative study of the rate of prevalence of hepatitis viral co-infections among male and female gender groups and also in patients with chronic and acute liver diseases.

Materials and Methods: A total of 500 Venous blood samples were collected basing on the inclusion criteria and serum was separated and preserved at -20°C. The samples were tested for detecting HBV, HCV, and HDV markers by ELISA method, for HDV detection, HBV positive samples alone were considered. A total of 40 (8%) samples were HBsAg positive, followed by HCV 12 (2.4%), co-infection with HBV and HCV is 2 (0.4%) and 1(0.2%) with HCV and HIV co-infection.

Conclusion: According to our study even though single infections are common, co-infections are seen more in age group of above 50yrs which may increase the risk of developing a chronic infection.

Key words: HBV, HCV, HDV, Co-infection.