Background: Intestinal helminth infections in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals have been widely reported to play an important role in HIV progression. Aim: The study provides data on the prevalence of intestinal helminths among HIV-positive individuals. Methods: A total of 169 consenting HIV-positive individuals were recruited for the study. Stool specimens from the HIV-positive individuals were analyzed for the presence of intestinal helminths using wet mount and formalin-ether concentration methods. Results: The overall prevalence of infection was 21.9% with 5 types of parasites detected. The Intestinal helminth that occurred with the highest prevalence was Ascaris lumbricoides (37.8%), followed by Hookworm (16.2%), Taenia spp. (16.2%) and Strongyloides stercoralis (13.5%) with Trichuris trichiura (8.1%) being the least prevalent. However, there was more single (91.9%) than mixed infections (8.1 %). Concerning socio-demographic factors, there was no significant association (p > 0.05) between intestinal helminths and gender (X 2 (1, N = 169) = 1.239, p = 0.266), although, the parasites were found to be more prevalent among males than females. Infection was reported in 16.1% of those on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and 53.8% of those that were HAART-naïve indicating that there was a significant association (X 2 (1, N = 169) = 18.346, p = 0.001**) between intestinal helminth and HAART status. Conclusions: This study reported a low burden of intestinal helminths among HIV-infected individuals on HAART while a higher burden was recorded in the HAART naïve patients. Regular check-up for intestinal parasites, good personal hygiene, and effective therapy for HIV/AIDS positive persons is hereby advocated.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.