Epidemiology of infections with intestinal parasites and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among sugar-estate residents in Ethiopia

• Published in: Annals of tropical medicine and parasitology Vol. 94; no. 3; pp. 269 - 278
• Main Authors: FONTANET, A. L, SAHLU, T, RINKE DE WIT, T, MESSELE, T, MASHO, W, WOLDEMICHAEL, T, YENENEH, H, COUTINHO, R. A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Leeds Maney Publishing 01.04.2000
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; AIDS/HIV; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Comorbidity; Entamoeba dispar; Entamoeba histolytica; Ethiopia; Ethiopia - epidemiology; Female; Giardia lamblia; HIV Seropositivity - epidemiology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Rural Health - statistics & numerical data; Tropical medicine; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Ethiopia; Africa; Infection; Human; Immunopathology; Opportunistic infection; Viral disease; Gut; Digestive diseases; AIDS; Parasitosis; Immune deficiency; Epidemiology
• ISSN: 0003-4983; 1364-8594
• DOI: 10.1080/00034980050006456

Intestinal parasitic infections could play an important role in the progression of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), by further disturbing the immune system whilst it is already engaged in the fight against HIV. HIV and intestinal parasitic infections were investigated in 1239, randomly selected individuals, aged 15-54 years, living on a sugar estate in central Ethiopia. Intestinal parasites were identified in faecal samples (one/subject) using direct, concentration, and (for Strongyloides stercoralis larvae) Baermann methods. HIV serological status was determined using ELISA, with ELISA-positive samples confirmed as positive by western blotting. Most (70.1%) of the subjects were infected with at least one intestinal parasite and 3.1% were seropositive (but asymptomatic) for HIV. The intestinal parasites identified in the study population were amoebic parasites (Entamoeba histolytica/Enta. dispar) (24.6%), hookworms (23.8%), Ascaris lumbricoides (22.2%), Trichuris trichiura (19.5%), S. stercoralis (13.0%), Taenia saginata (4.5%), Giardia lamblia (3.0%), and Enterobius vermicularis (1.3%). Overall, the HIV-positives were no more or less likely to carry intestinal parasites than the HIV-negatives (76.2% v. 69.9%; P > 0.05). However, when each parasite was considered separately, amoebic parasites were found to be more common in the HIV-positives than the HIV-negatives (43.7% v. 24.0%; P < 0.05). This difference remained significant in a multivariate analysis, after controlling for the socio-demographic characteristics of the study participants. In conclusion, there was moderate interaction between intestinal parasites and HIV at the asymptomatic stage of HIV infection. The observed association between amoebic and HIV infections requires confirmation in a prospective study, allowing for the analysis of biological mechanisms involved in the association.