Prevalence of persistent parasitic infections in foreign-born, HIV-infected persons in the north of Spain

Methods A prospective, descriptive study was designed to include all the immigrant patients diagnosed of HIV infection attending in Hospital Central de Asturias, Spain, 2006 2011. We included demographic variables, CD4 cells count and viral load at time of diagnosis. Screening comprised blood count, biochemistry, basic urinalysis, hepatitis B virus (HBV), HCV, strongyloidiasis and schistosomiasis serologic analysis, stool parasites, blood test for filarias, PCR for malaria and Chagas disease serologic analysis and PCR in persons from Latin America. Qualitative variables were compared using the x test, the Fisher exact test, when necessary. For quantitative variables, the Student t test for nonpaired variables or the Mann-Whitney U test were used. Significance was designated at pB0.05.