Background/Aim: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can induce immunological extrahepatic manifestations including arthralgia and arthritis mimicing rheumatoid arthritis. Our aim is to report the prevalence of HCV infection in children presenting with arthritis or arthralgia. Methods: The study included 40 children presenting with arthritis or arthralgia as a cases and another 40 age and sex matched children, not complaining of liver disease or arthritis as a control group. All cases and controls were subjected to full history taking, clinical examination and HCVab detection by rapid test. To all positive cases with rapid test a confirmatory HCVab ELISA test was done and HCV PCR as well. Results: Cases were 45% males and 55% females, with a mean age of 10.5 ± 3.7 years. Among cases, prevalence of HCVab as detected by rapid test and confirmed by ELISA was 5%. HCV RNA was positive in 2.5%. In the control group HCVab was 2.5% by rapid test and confirmed by ELISA and HCV RNA. Both arthritis and lower limb oedema were more prevalent in HCVab positive cases than negative but with no statistical significance difference. By examination; HCVab positive cases had a higher prevalence of presence of scratch marks and they also have a significantly higher AST and ALT levels than HCVab negative cases. Conclusion: HCV infection is prevalent in children with arthritis or arthralgia.