Seroprevalence of syphilis among HIV-infected individuals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a hospital-based cross-sectional study

Abstract

ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of syphilis and its risk factors among people with HIV at a hospital in Ethiopia.DesignA hospital-based cross-sectional study.SettingThis study was conducted at one of the largest public hospitals in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia.ParticipantsA consecutive 306 HIV-positive patients were recruited prospectively from January to March 2010. For comparative purposes, 224 HIV-negative consecutive attendees at the voluntary counselling and testing centre in the same period were also included. Participants under 15 years of age and treated for syphilis and with a CD4 T-cell count below 50 cells/mm3 were excluded.Outcome measuresBlood samples and data on sociodemographic and risk factors for syphilis were collected. Sera were screened for syphilis using rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test, and those positives were retested using Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay (TPHA) test.ResultsThe seroprevalence of syphilis among HIV-infected individuals was 9.8% compared with 1.3% among HIV-uninfected individuals, OR 8.01 (95% CI 2.4 to 26.6; p=0.001). A comparable rate of syphilis was found among men (11%) and women (8.9%) with HIV infection. Syphilis prevalence non-significantly increased with age, with the highest rate in 40–49 years of age (16.9%). Except a history of sexually transmitted infections, which was associated with syphilis OR 2.25 (95% CI 1.03 to 4.9; p=0.042), other risk factors did not raise the odds of infection.ConclusionsThe high prevalence of syphilis among people with HIV infection highlights the need to target this population to prevent the transmission of both infections. Screening all HIV-infected people for syphilis and managing those infected would have clinical and epidemiological importance.

Prevalence Of Syphilis, Neurosyphilis And Associated Factors In a Cross-Sectional Analysis Of HIV Infected Patients Attending Bugando Medical Centre Mwanza Tanzania

“…This finding was similar to a prevalence rate of 10.0% reported in a study done in Uganda by Mboowa et al (11). It was as well similar to finding from a an Ethiopian study where 30 (9.8%) out of 306 HIV positive patients were found to be positive for seropositive for T.pallidum (10). This study showed lower Seroprevalence as compared to study done in Ghana by Mamoojee where 45(14.8%) out of 284 HIV positive participants and higher than study done in Rwanda by Mutagoma 20 (4.8%) out 482 HIV positive participant.…”

Prevalence Of Syphilis, Neurosyphilis And Associated Factors In a Cross-Sectional Analysis Of HIV Infected Patients Attending Bugando Medical Centre Mwanza Tanzania

“…People who reported being married to one person were significantly more frequently seropositive for T.pallidum (56.3% versus 53.5% in the TPHA negative). This finding is similar to study results from Uganda (13) and Ethiopia (14), and may be because of concurrency of partners. Specifically, Kenyon et al reported that male partner concurrency in which men had an average of five concurrent partners was significantly associated with high prevalence of syphilis (15).…”

“…The finding was similar to a prevalence rate of 10.0% reported in a study done in Uganda (13) and. and another in Ethiopia where (9.8%) out of 306 HIV positive patients were found to be seropositive for T.pallidum (14).The Seroprevalence that we observed was lower than that found in Ghana(14.8% of 284 HIVinfected participants)and higher than a study done in Rwanda in which (4.8%) of 482 HIV-infected participants were syphilis seropositive .…”

Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Syphilis Infection among Antiretroviral Therapy Naive HIV Patients at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Ghana

“…Coast Metropolis was 10%. This was higher compared to what was noted in Addis Ababa, with prevalence of 1.6% infection [19] and 5.3% syphilis prevalence among HIV positive patients in Iran [20]. The findings may imply syphilis infection could be among the most common opportunistic infections affecting the P. Asare-Bediako et al In addition, the infection was high among the youth ages between 20 -39 years.…”