DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2014.v02i06.102

Pages: 3366-3369

Intestinal parasitic infection affects the health and quality of life of people living with HIV. This study was designed to determine the patterns of intestinal parasitic infections in HIV/AIDS individuals and its relationship with diarrhoea, CD4 T- cell counts and ART. Hence a cross sectional study was conducted from total 103 patients visisting ART clinic of Western Regional Hospital, Community Support Group, Nayabazar and Star Children Homes, Pokhara, from 15th November 2013 to 10th January 2014. All the fecal samples were examined for the presence of parasites both macroscopically and microscopically. Microscopic examination was done by wet mount (Saline mount and Iodine preparation) method, by concentration method employing formal-ether sedimentation technique and diarrheal samples were also subjected to sucrose flotation method. The total parasitic infection was found to be 38(36.9%). Distribution of different intestinal parasite was found to be Entamoeba 11(25%), Ascaris 10(22.7%), Giardia 7(15.9%), C. Parvum 3(6.8%), Taenia 3(6.8%), Isospora 3(6.8%), Hookworm 2(4.5%), Cyclospora 2(4.5%), H. nana 2(4.5%) and Microsporodia 1(2.2%). The association between diarrohea and non diarrohea patient reveals 8.4 time chances of intestinal parasitic infection with P-value 0.001, which is highly significant. The association between CD4 cell count revealed the status that <200 CD4 count had 8.53 times and 1.54 chances more than 400-600 CD4 count and 200-400 CD4 count respectively with P-value 0.002, which is highly significant. Routine examinations of stool samples for parasites would significantly benefit the HIV patients by contributing in reducing morbidity and improving the efficiency of antiretroviral treatment.