HIV Seroprevalence among the Patients or Clients Obtaining Blood Sample at BSMMU Virology Laboratory

Abstract

Departments of Virology (DVs), BSMMU receive patients from every background, socioeconomic group and health status. Hence, DVs can play a critical role in offering human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and help in the national strategy of early HIV detection. The present study was conducted on 1208 patients attending DVs after taking Institutional Review Board approval. They were screened for HIV antibodies by three rapid/simple assay tests having different principles/antigens as per the WHO guidelines. Forty four (13.6%) of the 1208 patients were HIV reactive and 1164(96.4%) were negative respectively. Distribution of patients on the basis of gender where 894 (74.1%) were male and 313 (25.9%) were female out of 1208 patients or clients. Distribution of study subject on the basis of exposure history where 378(38.8%) patients or clients had history of exposure and 830 (68.7%) patients or clients did not. Distribution of the patients on the basis of purpose of screening where patients were in three groups (Screening before operation, Positive exposure history and To exclude HIV infection during failure of drug Rx) where 776(64.2%) patients were done anti-HIV test due to screening purpose before operation, 378(31.1%) patients were done this test due to Positive exposure history exposure history and 54(4.5%) patients done this due to exclude HIV infection during failure of drug treatment. Prevalence of HIV infection was more among 21-40yrs age group than other age group(18mon-20yrs,41-60yrs&>60yrs) which is not significant . Data shows there was significant association of anti-HIV positivity with exposure history of the patients or clients. Prevalence of HIV infection was more among patients or clients who had history of exposure. Prevalence of HIV was more among the patients who were done screening test due to failure of drugs than other two purposes. Bangladesh is still considered as a low HIV/AIDS prevalent country. However, it is at a critical moment in the course of its AIDS epidemic. It is estimated that there are 13,000 HIV-positive people in the country and that HIV prevalence in the adult population is less than 0.01%. However, the country's vulnerability is very high. National HIV surveillance indicates that the rate of HIV infection among street-based sex workers in central Bangladesh is high compared with sex workers in other parts of South Asia. HIV among injecting drug users is already 10.5%.The presence of covert multi-partner sexual activity and denial, the low level of knowledge and low condom use, unsafe professional blood donations, lack of a desirable environment and violation of Human Rights, all contribute to the spread of HIV in Bangladesh. Thus, the study emphasizes the need for expansion of routine voluntary HIV counseling and testing to all the patients who come to the DV and practicing universal work precautions by health care workers.