Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites in HIV Patients

Socio economic conditions, educational status and unhygienic practices contribute for intestinal parasitosis. Since large number of HIV positive population belong to below poverty line, an attempt was made to study intestinal parasitosis among HIV positive population. A total of 120 (M = 62, F = 58, Mean age = 35.28) HIV positive adults who satisfied a rigid selection criteria were screened for associated intestinal parasitosis and diarrhoea 40 healthy HIV negative non diarrhoeal population (age & sex matched) were kept as control. They were subjected to sociodemographic, clinical and laboratory evaluation. Intestinal parasitosis were significantly more among HIV positive patient and the prevalence was 46.7% (43). Among the parasitosis cryptosporidosis dominated 19.2% (23) followed by E.Histolytica 15.0% (18), E.coli 12.5% (15), Ascaris 7.5% (9), H.nana 0.8% (1), Giardiasis 4.2% (5), Ankylostoma 2.5% (3), Isospora 0.8% (1). Cryptosporidiosis was found significantly more in those with CD4 counts less than 200/mm3 thus indicating their susceptibility of cryptosporidiosis when CD4 counts is lower. E.Histolytica was found significantly more among those with CD4 cell counts more than 200/mm3. Since the hygienic environment and hygienic practice far from satisfactory all of them were educated to adopt hygienic practice. It is suggested that to have routine evaluation of AIDS cases with diarrhoea for common and uncommon pathogen in order to provide appropriate therapeutic measures