Genotypic Speciation of Four Plasmodium among Human Immunodeficiency Virus Positive Individuals Attending HIV Clinics in Abakaliki, South-Eastern Nigeria

A total of 150 blood samples were collected from Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients who visited selected hospitals in Ebonyi State. The subjects were made up of 57 males and 93 female patients. The blood samples were screened for the presence of four human malaria parasites using parasitological examination of blood stained films and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Of the 150 positive individuals, 75(50%) blood samples were positive for malaria ( P. falciparum ). The comparison of blood films microscopy and PCR results were evaluated thus, 88 malaria positive cases recorded a prevalence of 58.68% for malaria parasites by PCR analysis while the overall prevalence of malaria infections by microscopy gave 50% prevalence. However, there were a number of disagreements in the identification of Plasmodium species by these two methods. Ten (6.67%) subjects were identified by PCR to be infected by P. malariae while blood film microscopy yielded 4(2.67%). Microscopy gave 70(46.67%) malaria positive cases of P. falciparum while PCR analysis yielded 75(50%). Two percent of the subjects screened were determined to be a mixed infection of P.falciparum and P. malariae by PCR while microscopy result revealed 0.67% prevalence. Therefore, PCR examination proves more sensitive than the parasitological technique used in malaria parasite studies.