Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among HIV/AIDS patients from two health institutions in Abuja, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND Intestinal parasitic infections play a vital role in the prognosis of HIV/AIDS in patients. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) in HIV-infected individuals in two health facilities in Abuja-Nigeria. METHODS A cross sectional study was conducted in two sites: the GEDE AIDS and Infectious Diseases Research Institute (GAIDRI), and the Human Virology Institute-General Hospital Asokoro-Abuja, Nigeria. A total of 119 subjects were recruited (85 HIV infected and 34 HIV negative). Stool specimens collected were analyzed macroscopically and microscopically for consistency and the presence of enteric parasites. RESULTS The overall prevalence rate of enteroparasites obtained in this study was 22.7% (27/119). The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in HIV infected patients was 24.7 %; while in HIV negative persons, it was 17.6%. However, the high rate obtained for HIV infected patients was not statistically significant (p> 0.05). CONCLUSION Although the prevalence rate of enteric parasites in HIV/AIDS patients was higher than in HIV negative individuals, this difference is not statistically significant. Even though there was no statistical difference in the two groups, parasitic infections in HIV/AIDS patients often result in debilitating illness.