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Bacteraemia as predictor of HIV infection in African children
P Lepage1, P Van de Perre, F Nsengumuremyi
1Department of Paediatrics, and Center Hospitalier de Kigali, Rwanda.
Insights
In Rwandan children, bloodstream infections (bacteraemia) may indicate HIV infection, particularly in those under two years old. This finding highlights bacteraemia as a potential marker for early HIV detection in young children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- HIV infection and bloodstream infections (bacteraemia) are significant health issues in Rwandan children.
- Bacteraemia is a common cause of illness and mortality in pediatric populations in Central Africa.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether bacteraemia serves as a marker for HIV infection in ambulatory and hospitalized Rwandan children.
- To determine the association between HIV seropositivity and the presence of bloodstream infections in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study was conducted at the Center Hospitalier de Kigali.
- Blood cultures were performed on 135 eligible children presenting to the Department of Pediatrics over a two-month period.
- Children's HIV serostatus was assessed in conjunction with blood culture results.
Main Results:
- Overall, no significant association was found between bacteraemia and HIV seropositivity in all studied children.
- However, in children younger than two years, those with bacteraemia were significantly more likely to be HIV seropositive (44%) compared to those without bloodstream infections (19%).
- Common pathogens isolated included *S. typhimurium*, *Str. pneumoniae*, and *H. influenzae*.
Conclusions:
- Bacteraemia may be an important indicator of HIV seropositivity in young children in Central Africa.
- The findings suggest that screening for HIV in young children presenting with bacteraemia could be beneficial.
- Further research is warranted to explore the implications of this association for clinical management and public health strategies.
Abstract:
In Rwanda, both HIV infection and bacteraemia represent major health problems among paediatric populations. We carried out of prospective study of determine if bacteraemia is a marker of HIV infection among ambulatory and hospitalized Rwandese children. All children presenting at the Department of Paediatrics of the Center Hospitalier de Kigali who had their blood cultured during a two-month period were eligible for the study. One hundred and thirty-five children were included in the study. A pathogen was isolated from 36 children (26.7%): S. typhimurium (10 cases), S. enteritidis (6), S. typhi (4), Str. pneumoniae (9). H. influenzae (6) and S. aureus (1). No association was found between bacteraemia and HIV seropositivity when all the children were considered. However, among patients less than 2 years old, bacteraemic subjects were more frequently (p less than 0.05) HIV seropositive (44%) than those with negative blood cultures (19%). Our study shows that in young children in Central Africa, the presence of bacteraemia may be an important marker of HIV seropositivity.