Mycobacterial, bacterial and fungal pathogens causing pulmonary complications in patients with HIV infection

Abstract

Background To describe the socio-demographic profile of HIV patients, who are clinically suspected to have lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) and to estimate the prevalence and types of mycobacterial, bacterial and fungal pathogens in these patients. Materials and methods Sputum samples were collected from ninety-four subjects attending at Jimma University Hospital, Ethiopia and examined microbiologically. Results Ninety-two pathogens were isolated from eighty-nine patients of the total ninety-four patients. Out of all isolates, 45.6% of the isolates constitute bacteria, 38% were Mycobacterium tuberculosis and 16.3% belong to different fungal classes. Mixed infection was identified in two cases. Klebsiella pneumonia and Candida albicans were the most common bacterial and fungal pathogens isolated respectively. Conclusion This study demonstrates that there is a difference in the incidence rates of bacterial and fungal isolates of this study and of other studies conducted within Africa and outside Africa.