A study of the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection in HIV positive individuals in Mashhad, Northeast Iran

Abstract

Introduction and objective: Intestinal parasitic infection is an important problem in the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infected patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among HIV+ patients in Mashhad, Iran. Materials and methods: A coproparasitological study was conducted from October 2005 to August 2006 at Emam Reza hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran. It was carried out on 31 HIV+ patients admitted at the HIV clinic and 20 HIV-negative individuals as control group using direct and formalin-ether sedimentation concentration methods, trichrome and acid-fast staining. Results: Overall prevalence of intestinal parasites among HIV+ population was 67.7% and in control group was 55% without significant difference between the two groups. More specifically, the following parasites were identified in HIV+ group: Giardia lamblia 22.6%, Blastocystis hominis 22.6%, Chilomastics mesnili 22.6%, Entamoeba coli 9.7%, and Entromonas 3.2%. In the control group Entromonas (45%), B. hominis (15%), E. coli (10%), G. lamblia (5%), and Hymenolepis nana (10%). However, the prevalence of G. lamblia, B. hominis and C. mesnili was greater for HIV+ patients (p