ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Enteric parasites are a major cause of diarrhoea in HIV infected individuals. The present study was undertaken to detect the enteric parasites in HIV infected patients with diarrhoea, who were at different levels of immunity. METHODS: This study was carried out in the P.D.U Medical College and Civil Hospital, Rajkot, India. during the period from June 2009 to June 2010. A total of 100 stool samples from HIV seropositive patients were examined for opportunistic, gastrointestinal parasitic infections. The samples were classified according to the age groups, sex, and occupation, a history of diarrhoea and different categories of the CD4 cell count. The stool samples were collected and examined for enteric parasites by microscopy and by special staining methods. The CD4 cell counts were estimated by using the FACS count system. RESULTS: The intestinal parasitic pathogens were detected in 28% patients. Among all, Isospora appeared to have the highest prevalence (18%), followed by Giardia lamblia (5%), Strongyloides stercoralies (3%) and Cryptosporidium parvum (2%). In the HIV infected patients with a CD4 count of < 200 cells/µl, Isospora was the most commonly observed (56%) pathogen. The proportion of the opportunistic pathogens in the patients with CD4 counts of <200 cells/µl was significantly higher as compared to those in the other two groups of patients with CD4 counts of >200 respectively. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: Parasitic infections were detected in 28% of the HIV infected patients and a low CD4 count was significantly associated with an opportunistic infection. The detection of the aetiologic pathogens might help the clinicians in deciding the appropriate management strategies.
