Study of opportunistic intestinal parasitic infections in people living with HIVand their relationship with immune status

Introduction: Diarrhea is one of the most common complaintspeople living with HIV(PLHIV), occurring in almost 90% of them. Intestinal parasites are one of the main causes of diarrhea in developing countries. Objective: The present study was undertaken to detect enteric parasites in PLHIV with different levels of immune status (CD 4+ Counts). Materials and Methods: The study included a total of 209 HIV seropositive subjects. Stool samples from each subject was examined microscopically for the presence of ova and cysts using wet mount preparations and stained smears (modified ZN stain). Results: Enteric pathogens were detected in 57 (27.27%) of the 209 patients. The parasites identified were Cryptosporidium (25), Isospora belli (3), Strongoloides larvae (2), Ascaris ova (1).In our study it was observed that the prevalence of cryptosporidium in HIV sero-positive subjects was 49.01%, 33.33%, 17.6% in those having CD4 500 cells/μl respectively. Conclusion: Intestinal opportunistic parasitic infections were detected in 27.27 % among HIV-seropositive patients. Cryptosporidiumis an important emerging pathogen in HIV-seropositive individuals with or without symptoms.Early detection of opportunistic intestinal parasitic infections using simple techniques like wet mount and modified ZN staining will help in the timely management and will improve the quality of life of HIV infected individuals.