Abstract
Background: Accute Immune Deficiency Syndrom (AIDS) is a serious and lethal disease in many parts of the world, rendering a patient sensitive to all opportunistic pathogens that can cause death as the disease progresses. Many patients suffer from intestinal opportunistic infections by parasites.
Objectives: The aim of present study was to examine parasitic intestinal infections in AIDS patients in Razi Hospital, Ahvaz.
Patients and Methods: We collected 100 stool samples from 60 HIV (+) patients who were referred to Razi Hospital, Ahvaz. The samples were examined by direct and MIF (merthiolate-iodine-formaldehyde) method. All samples were stained with Ziehl-Neelsen (acid fast staining) and trichrome. General data, such as clinical signs, duration of disease, route of infection, and habitat of patient, were obtained by questionnaire.
Results: Thirty percent of HIV (+) patients were infected with intestinal protozoan parasites. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of parasite infections between sex or age. The prevalence of parasitic infections was as follows: Blastocystis hominis, 16. 7%; Cryptosporidium parvum, 8. 3%; Endolimax nana, 5%; Entamoeba coli, 5%; Giardia intestinalis, 3. 3%; E. histolytica cyst, 1. 7%, and Dientamoeba fragilis, 1. 7%.
Conclusions: This study shows that the prevalence of parasitic infections is not high in HIV (+) patient in Ahvaz compared with other studies, but it is recommended that fecal examination be performed every 3 months to detect serious parasitic infections and that parasitic infections should be treated after laboratory diagnosis and in the presence of the gastrointestinal symptoms.
Objectives: The aim of present study was to examine parasitic intestinal infections in AIDS patients in Razi Hospital, Ahvaz.
Patients and Methods: We collected 100 stool samples from 60 HIV (+) patients who were referred to Razi Hospital, Ahvaz. The samples were examined by direct and MIF (merthiolate-iodine-formaldehyde) method. All samples were stained with Ziehl-Neelsen (acid fast staining) and trichrome. General data, such as clinical signs, duration of disease, route of infection, and habitat of patient, were obtained by questionnaire.
Results: Thirty percent of HIV (+) patients were infected with intestinal protozoan parasites. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of parasite infections between sex or age. The prevalence of parasitic infections was as follows: Blastocystis hominis, 16. 7%; Cryptosporidium parvum, 8. 3%; Endolimax nana, 5%; Entamoeba coli, 5%; Giardia intestinalis, 3. 3%; E. histolytica cyst, 1. 7%, and Dientamoeba fragilis, 1. 7%.
Conclusions: This study shows that the prevalence of parasitic infections is not high in HIV (+) patient in Ahvaz compared with other studies, but it is recommended that fecal examination be performed every 3 months to detect serious parasitic infections and that parasitic infections should be treated after laboratory diagnosis and in the presence of the gastrointestinal symptoms.
Copyright © 2012 Kowsar Corp. All rights reserved.
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© 2012, Author(s). This open-access article is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which allows for unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.