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Rural Epidemiology of HIV Positive Tribal Patients from Chhattisgarh in India.

Authors :
Singh, Harminder
Dulhani, Naveen
Bithika, Nel Kumar
Tiwari, Pawan
Chauhan, V. K. S.
Singh, Prabhakar
Source :
Journal of Global Infectious Diseases. Jan2010, Vol. 2 Issue 1, p39-42. 4p. 4 Charts.
Publication Year :
2010

Abstract

Objective: The primary objective was to study the epidemiology of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) positive tribal patients, and the secondary objective was to study the associated comorbidities in a tertiary care hospital in the tribal (Bastar) region of Chhattisgarh, India, between December 2006 and November 2008, and their relation to CD4 counts. Materials and Methods: In this study 90 tribal HIV positive subjects were enrolled. Information on demographics, that is, weight, height, age, educational status, sex, clinical finding, and laboratory parameters (CD4 counts) were noted. Results: Among 90 HIV patients, 54 (60%) were males and 36 (40%) were females. Among these, most patients, 37 (41.1%), were in the age group of 30 to 39 years. Among these patients, 79.56% belonged to the lower socioeconomic status, whereas, only 1.45% were from a high socioeconomic status. The largest group was made up of drivers (32.2%), with the second largest group being housewives (27.7%) and laborers (17.7%), respectively. A majority of the patients had a low education, 35.5% were educated only up to the fifth standard and 31.8% up to high school, while 18.8% were illiterate. The predominant mode of transmission was heterosexual contact (78.8%), only one patient (1.1%) was infected through transfusion of infected blood, five (5.5%) patients acquired infection via vertical (mother to child) transmission, and in 13 patients the transmission history was not clear. Conclusion: There was a high frequency of behavioral risk factors, together with unawareness, and very little health infrastructure, thus creating an impending risk for the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
0974777X
Volume :
2
Issue :
1
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
Journal of Global Infectious Diseases
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
48415624
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-777X.59249