A survey of opportunistic infections in HIV seropositive patients attending major hospitals of Kebbi state, Nigeria

Abstract

A survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of HIV/AIDS related opportunistic infections from the patients attending the five major Hospitals in Kebbi State, which included Federal Medical Center (FMC), Birnin Kebbi, Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital (SYMH), Birnin Kebbi, General Hospital, Argungu (GHA), General Hospital, Yauri (GHY) and General Hospital, Zuru (GHZ). The screening for the HIV/AID was done using the Genic II HIV-1/HIV-2 Test and the screening for opportunistic infections was done using thin and thick blood films, direct wet mount, formal ether concentration technique and modified Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) technique. Microbial Pathogens were isolated through culture and identified through gram staining and biochemical tests. Out of the 1950 patients screened for HIV/AIDS infection, 606 (31.6%) were positive. Higher prevalence 195 (32.2%) was from FMC and the lowest from GHY 90 (15%). The result revealed that 374 (61.7%) of HIV/AIDS positive patients were also positive to one or more opportunistic infections. In this respect, higher prevalence of 32.3% was observed from FMC and the lowest was observed from SYMH with 13.9%. The result of the study also revealed the presence of malarial (Plasmodium) parasites with prevalence of (75.9%). The Federal Medical Centre (FMC) had the highest prevalence of 29.5%, SYMH, 21.7%, GHA, 17.2%, GHY, 16.1 and lastly GHZ with 15.4%. There is therefore the need for urgent positive control programme of HIV and HIV related opportunistic infections.