Assessment of intestinal parasites and associated factors among HIV/AIDS patients on antiretroviral therapy at Bule Hora General Hospital, West Guji, Ethiopia

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasites and associated factors among people living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy at Bule Hora General Hospital, West Guji, Oromia, Ethiopia. Introduction: Parasitic infection of the intestinal tract is a major source of disease in patients with HIV, particularly in the tropics, where diarrhea is a common complaint with variable severity. Method: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May to August 2021 on 179 systematic randomly selected HIV patients. Data on sociodemographics were collected by interviewing the study subjects using a pretested structured questionnaire. Stool specimens were collected from the study subjects and processed and examined by formol-ether concentration techniques. Data were obtained from each individual using data sheets and then entered into SPSS version 20 for analysis. The chi-square test was calculated, and a p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of 179 study subjects, 52 (29.1%) were infected with intestinal parasites. The most frequently detected parasites were Giardia lamblia (38.5%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (25%) Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (15.4%), followed by Strongyloides stercoralis (11.5%). Factors such as the CD4+ T-cell status and source of drinking water were significantly associated with the prevalence of intestinal parasites among HIV/AIDS patients. The prevalence of intestinal parasites was highly observed among patients who scored CD4+ T cells <200 cells/mm 3 90.4% (47/52) and drink ground water 73.1% (38/52). Conclusion: There was moderate prevalence of intestinal parasites among HIV/AIDS patients; therefore, treating unprotected water before drinking and diagnosis of early parasites for HIV/AIDS patients whose CD4+ T-cell count is less than 200 cells/mm 3 should be practiced to prevent intestinal parasite infection.

Trends of intestinal parasites among the patients attended at Yabelo General Hospital, Borena Zone, Southern Ethiopia

“… 14 Protozoan infections are categorized under common prevalent human parasitic infections that result in clinical morbidity and mortality and constitute a global health burden. 15 Most giardiasis- and amoebiasis - infected cases were found to be asymptomatic, and the common risk factors are poor hygiene standards, low socioeconomic conditions, and malnutrition in developing countries. 16 , 17 …”

“…14 Protozoan infections are categorized under common prevalent human parasitic infections that result in clinical morbidity and mortality and constitute a global health burden. 15 Most giardiasis-and amoebiasis-infected cases were found to be asymptomatic, and the common risk factors are poor hygiene standards, low socioeconomic conditions, and malnutrition in developing countries. 16,17 Furthermore, IPIs especially helminths are associated with an increased risk of protein-energy malnutrition, nutritional-related anemias, growth defects in children, and low weight gain during pregnancy and lead to low birth weight.…”

Giardia lamblia infection and associated risk factors among patients seeking stool examination at Bule Hora University Teaching Hospital, West Guji Zone, Ethiopia

“…A structured face-to-face interview questionnaire that had been pre-tested and modi ed after reading various types of literature [11][12][13][14][15][16][17] was used to gather the results. These include sanitary and environmental elements, sociodemographic characteristics, and health-related issues.…”

“…Subsequently, the entire smear area was examined with a 10-fold objective; if something unusual was observed, the region was magni ed even further (40x) [17].…”

Interleukin 10 (IL-10) Production and Seroprevalence of Entamoeba histolytica Infection among HIV-Infected Patients in South Africa

“…Diarrhea is one of the most common presenting complaints in HIV-infected patients, where most diarrheal infections are associated with intestinal parasites [ 6 ]. Numerous studies demonstrated that intestinal parasites, such as Cryptosporidium spp., Microsporidia spp., Isospora belli , and Cyclospora cayetenensis , were frequently associated with episodes of severe and often fatal diarrhea in HIV-infected patients [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Among these parasites, Entamoeba histolytica , Giardia intestinalis , and Strongyloides stercoralis are documented as the most important cause of diarrhea in immune-compromised patients.…”