Prevalence of Cryptosporidium Infection among HIV-1 Infected Adult Patients Attending Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria

Abstract

Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of chronic diarrhoea in HIV-1infected patients, but there is paucity of data on the prevalence of Cryptosporidium and factors associated with the infection. We determined the prevalence and factors associated with Cryptosporidium infection among HIV-1 infected adult patients at Jos University Teaching hospital, Jos, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study in which a total of 296 fecal specimens from HIV-1 infected patients with diarrhea was collected and structured questionnaire was used to collect demographic and clinical data. The fecal samples were examined for Cryptosporidium by formol-ether concentration and modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique, and the oocysts identified by microscopy. Two hundered and ninrty six feacal samples where analyse from156 (52.7%) females and 140(47.3%) males. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection among HIV-1 infected patients was 4.7%. Among females 9 (5.8%) had Cryptosporidium infection while (5)3.6% in males; P=0.696. The age group 21-30 years had the highest prevalence of (8)10.0%. A statistically significant association of Cryptosporidium infection was observed with rural type of residence, P=0.046. In conclusion the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection among HIV-1 infected adult patients with diarrhea was low. This may be due to early commencement of antiretroviral drugs and the use of anti-parasitic prophylaxis among the patients. Further larger studies on the molecular identification of the species of Cryptosporidium are needed to determine the available zoonotic strains.