Bacteraemia as predictor of HIV infection in African children

• Published in: Acta pædiatrica Scandinavica Vol. 78; no. 5; p. 763
• Main Authors: Lepage, P, Van de Perre, P, Nsengumuremyi, F, Van Goethem, C, Bogaerts, J, Hitimana, D G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sweden 01.09.1989
• Subjects: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - diagnosis; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - epidemiology; Adolescent; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Prospective Studies; Rwanda; Sepsis - diagnosis; Sepsis - epidemiology; Sepsis - microbiology; Rwanda; Immunologic Factors; Eastern Africa; Prospective Studies; Age Factors; Bacterial And Fungal Diseases; Viral Diseases; Biology; Infections; Research Methodology; Immunity; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Population Characteristics; Population; Physiology; Child; Demographic Factors; Antibodies > analysis; Laboratory Examinations And Diagnoses; Africa; Rwanda; Youth; French Speaking Africa; Hiv Infections; Examinations And Diagnoses; Diseases; Studies; Data Analysis; Developing Countries; Africa South Of The Sahara
• ISSN: 0001-656X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1989.tb11140.x

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.