HIV; HBV; delta-agent and Treponema pallidum infections in two rural African areas

ABSTRACT

In order to compare the seroepidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); hepatitis B virus; delta agent and Treponema pallidum infections in two rural populations living in north Uganda (Kitgum district) and in central Burundi (Butezi; Ruyigi region); 448 sera were tested for HBS-Ag; HBS-Ab; and anti-HIV antibodies and screened for syphilis using the T. pallidum haemagglutination (TPHA) test. HBS-Ag positive sera were also tested for anti-delta antibodies. Overall seropositivity rates in healthy subjects; outpatients and inpatients (non-AIDS) were 14.2pc and 9.5pc in Kitgum district and Butezi; respectively. The prevalence of HBS-Ag and HBS-Ab ranged from 10.0pc to 15.6pc and from 66.2pc to 68.9pc; respectively. In north Uganda the rates of anti-delta positivity were 3.1pc in the overall population and 30.6pc in the HBS-Ag positive subjects. No serum obtained in Butezi was anti-delta positive. In Ugandan people; 64.0pc of anti-HIV positive and 25.8pc of anti-HIV negative patients were also TPHA-positive (P less than 0.01). For Butezi the corresponding figures were 21.4pc and 1.6pc respectively (P less than 0.04). On the contrary; no correlation was found between either anti-HIV or TPHA positives and seropositivity for B and delta hepatitis serological markers. The study demonstrated an association between seropositivities for HIV and T. pallidum (TPHA); suggesting common patterns of transmission. On the contrary; no association seemed to exist between HBV and HIV infections