Prevalence of intestinal helminths among HIV patients accessing healthcare services at Faith Alive Foundation, Jos, Nigeria

Abstract

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.