Gut parasites in HIV-seropositive Zambian adults with diarrhoea

We undertook a nine month study to define the frequency of parasitic infections in adults with diarrhoea presenting at the medical filter clinic and the Dermatovenereology clinic of the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. A total of 287 patients with diarrhoea were enrolled in the study; 130 from the adult medicine filter clinic recruitment consulting room and 157 patients from the Dermatovenereology clinic. Of 130 patients from the adult filter clinic, 85 (65%) were HIV-seropositive and 45 (35%) were seronegative for HIV. Out of 85 HIV-seropositive patients, 58 (68.2%) had acute diarrhoea and 27 (31.8%) had chronic diarrhoea. Of the 45 HIV-seronegative patients, 35 (77%) had acute diarrhoea and 10 (23%) had chronic diarrhoea. All of the 157 patients recruited from the Dermatovenereology clinic were HIV-seropositive. Of these, 97 (62%) had chronic diarrhoea; 7 (4%) had acute diarrhoea, and 53 (34%) patients had no diarrhoea. The common parasites detected were Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm, Entamoeba coli, and Cryptosporidium spp. Isospora belli and Cryptosporidium spp were seen only in the HIV-seropositive group. In the Dermatovenereology clinic there was a statistically significant difference between parasite detection rate of Isospora belli and Cryptosporidium spp in HIV-seropositive patients with chronic diarrhoea compared to asymptomatic HIV-seropositive individuals P < 0.01 and p = 0.05, respectively). A significant difference in detection rates of Entamoeba coli was seen between the HIV-seropositive group in the Dermatovenereology clinic [17 (10.8%) out of 157] compared to 1 (1.5%) out of 85 in the adult medicine filter clinic.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)