T. Vangool et al., HIGH PREVALENCE OF ENTEROCYTOZOON-BIENEUSI INFECTIONS AMONG HIV-POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS WITH PERSISTENT DIARRHEA IN HARARE, ZIMBABWE, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 89(5), 1995, pp. 478-480
Citations number
26
Categorie Soggetti
Public, Environmental & Occupation Heath","Tropical Medicine
Infection with the microsporidian parasite Enterocytozoon bieneusi may
be a major cause of prolonged diarrhoea in individuals also infected
with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The parasite has been reporte
d from Europe, Australia and the Americas, with a prevalence of 7-29%.
Faecal specimens were obtained from 202 adults and 106 children in Ha
rare, Zimbabwe, all of whom were in hospital and had diarrhoea. HIV se
rology was available for 119 adults: 106 were HIV seropositive. There
were clinical grounds for suspecting HIV infection in 23 of the remain
ing patients. E. bieneusi was identified in specimens from 13/129 pati
ents (10%) for whom HIV infection was indicated by serology and/or cli
nical signs, 1/60 patients (2%) of uncertain HIV status, and 0/13 sero
negative patients. 18/106 children were HIV seropositive and 12 were n
ot; HIV serology was not available for the remainder, but 19 were stro
ngly suspected of being infected with HIV on clinical criteria. E. bie
neusi was not detected in samples from any child. As is common in Zimb
abwe, the prevalence of other parasites in faecal specimens was low an
d, amongst patients with proven or suspected HIV infection, E. bieneus
i was the most prevalent parasite identified, particularly in patients
with diarrhoea of over 4 weeks duration.