Intestinal Parasitic Infection and Associated Risk Factors among HIV-Infected Patients Seeking Healthcare in a Rural Hospital in Ghana

Abstract

Background. Parasitic infections among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients are common in various regions and populations across the world and have since remained a persistent public health challenge. Sub-Saharan Africa harbors the greatest burden of the infections due to sociodemographic and behavioral factors. However, the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infections among HIV-infected persons has been poorly investigated in Ghana. Aim. This study sought to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infections and associated factors in HIV-infected individuals attending the antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinic in St. Mary Theresa Hospital, Dodi Papase. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2021 to September 2021 among three hundred and thirty-five HIV-infected individuals in the study area. Sociodemographic and behavioral factors were collected with the aid of a close-ended structured questionnaire. Furthermore, stool samples were collected from each participant and examined for the presence of intestinal parasites by microscopy using direct wet mount, formol-ether concentration, and modified Ziehl–Neelsen (Zn) techniques. Data obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 and Graphpad Prism version 8. Results. The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infections was 5.97%. Species-specific prevalence was found to be 2.99% for Giardia lamblia, 1.19% for Ascaris lumbricoides, and 0.90% each for Entamoeba histolytica/dispar and Trichuris trichiura. There was a significant association between participants’ educational level and intestinal parasitic infection. In addition, gastrointestinal parasitic infections were not found to be associated with age. Unemployed participants, those with a lower frequency of deworming, and those who do not use water closet toilet facilities were at a higher risk of getting infected. Conclusion. The lower infection rate recorded in this study suggests that public health interventions put in place are yielding significant results. Even though the prevalence is low, routine screening of all HIV-infected patients for parasitic infection is recommended to ensure timely, effective treatment and comprehensive care.

Enteric Parasitosis of HIV-positive Patients in Cameroon: A Case of the Regional Hospital of Bafoussam (Western Region)

“…The low infestation rate is due to the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy as the primary treatment for HIV which has led to a reduction in the frequency of infections, including those caused by enteroparasites, and has improved the clinical and laboratory outcomes of patients [13]. In addition, it can be attributed to effective counseling and ongoing education on hygienic practices for HIV-positive individuals by healthcare professionals [27].…”

Prevalence and Management of Helminthiasis and Virological Outcomes among HIV Co-infected Under-fives: A Case Study of Mwananyamala Hospital, Tanzania

“…It appears that Tanzania is geographically and socio-demographically comparable to the nations that are affected by both HIV and HL (3, 10 -13). There is, however, a dearth of information in these contexts that explores the relationship between HL and HIV coinfection, particularly the virological outcomes in patients receiving ART [10,19,20]. Routine virological determination by HIV viral load (HVL) monitoring has been adopted by Tanzania's Standard HIV Treatment Guidelines from the WHO (21), which specifies that virological success occurs when the HIV-1 RNA level is less than 1,000 copies/mL and vice versa.…”