
Intestinal Parasitic Infections In HIV Seropositive Patients –A Study
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Correspondence
Dr. Silpi Basak, M.D,Professor of Microbiology,Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Sawangi (M) Wardha (India)Phone: (07152) 287765,Mobile: 09421726385,E-mail: drsilpibasak@gmail.com
Opportunistic infections are the hallmark of the Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV) infection. In recent years, intestinal infections such as Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora and Isospora are becoming more prevalent in Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. Strongyloides stercoralis infections can lead to the hyperinfection syndrome and even to lethal disease in immunosuppressed patients. The present study was undertaken to study the prevalence of parasitic infections in HIV seropositive patients.
Out of 268 stool samples, 148, stool samples were collected from HIV seropositive patients with diarrhoea and 120 stool samples were collected from HIV seronegative patients with diarrhoea. All the 268 stool samples were examined by wet mount preparation (saline, Lugol’s iodine) and staining (modified Ziehl Neelsen staining) for the detection of the parasitic infection.
The total number of intestinal coccidian parasite was 52 (35.1%)(in HIV seropositive patients. No intestinal coccidian parasite was found in HIV seronegative patients. Co-infection with Cryptosporidium, Isospora and Cyclospora was observed in three (2%) of the HIV seropositive cases. However, the larva of Strongyloides stercoralis was found in two (1.4%) of the HIV positive patients and both the patients had chronic diarrhoea.