Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among HIV patients in Benin City, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the presence of intestinal parasites and their correlation with CD4⁺ T-cell counts and demographics among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients in Benin City, Nigeria. Stool specimens from 2,000 HIV-positive patients and 500 controls (HIV-negative individuals) were examined for ova, cysts, or parasites, using standard procedures. In addition, patient’s blood samples were analyzed for CD4 counts by flow cytometry. An overall prevalence rate of 15.3% was observed among HIVpositive patients while 6.2% was noted among non-HIV subjects. HIV status was a significant (P5: 5506 - DOI: 10.3402/ljm.v5i0.5506