Revista de SIDA e investigación clínica

Association of Viral Load and CD4+ count with Infection of Intestinal Emerging Parasites in HIV Patients

Abstract

Leticia Eligio-García, Apolinar Cano-Estrada, Cesar Cruz and Enedina Jiménez-Cardoso

Parasitic infections are common cause of diarrhea in patients with HIV combined with symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, intestinal cramps and flatulence. In HIV seropositive patients, the disease is often prolonged and severe. Parasites most frequently found in biological samples of HIV infected people are Cryptosporidium spp., Microsporidium and Giardia, Isospora and Cyclospora. The purpose of this study was to know the prevalence of parasitic infections in HIV infected patients and to establish the relationship with CD4 counts and viral load. 109 stool three serial samples from HIV seropositive patients were collected and analyzed by Zinc sulphate centrifugal floatation method and then stained with Ziehl-Neelsen Staining procedure. A “t” distribution analyses was made. A low viral load, CD4 count greater than 500, the absence of diarrhea and the ART treatment are not indicative in all cases of free parasitic infection.