A Comparative Study of the Prevalence of Helminth Parasites in HIV Seropositive and HIV Seronegative Individuals in Plateau state, Nigeria

Abstract

From June to November, 2006, stool samples were collected from 818 individuals that are both HIVseropositive and HIV-seronegative attending four hospitals in Plateau State, Nigeria and were examined for the presence of intestinal helminths. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal helminth parasites in HIV-seropositive subjects as compared to the HIV-seronegative individuals. Of the 818 individuals enrolled in the study, 261 were HIV-seropositive while 557 were HIV-seronegative. The study revealed helminth parasites to be more prevalent among the HIV-seropositive(33.3%) than in the HIV-seronegative (21.9%). We found some intestinal helminths parasites which were quite different from those reported earlier by other researchers in other regions of the world. This variability could be multifactorial. Diagnosis and treatment of intestinal helminths should be a routine part of HIV care in parasite-endemic developing countries and where this approach is logistically infeasible, mass deworming strategies may provide an appropriate alternative given the low cost and low toxicity of antihelminthics and the high prevalence rates of intestinal helminth infection expected