The association of intestinal parasites with chronic diarrhorea in adullt AIDS patients in north - eastern Tanzania

Abstract

with chronic diarrhoea among adult AIDS patients was conducted in the North-eastern zone of Tanzania. Diarrhoea was found to be a major problem among the patients. More than 70% of the patients had diarrhoea during their illness. Intestinal parasites were detected in 123 out of 352

(34.9%)

patients.

The proportion of patients with

intestinal parasites and chronic diarrhoea was 62.6% (77 out of 123) . The prevalence of chronic diarrhoea in patients who were in clinical stage Ill-IV of AIDS was highest among patients harbouring parasites that are known to cause diarrhoea. The association of di'arrhoeagenic parasites (combined together) with chron~ diarrhoea was found to be statistically significant. The adjusted

associations

were

also

found

statistically

significant. Cryptosporidium ~,

Isospora belli and

Strongyloides stercoralis were only isolated from patients with chronic diarrhoea . It was concluded that chronic diarrhoea was a major complaint of adult AIDS patients in North-eastern Tanzania. Parasi tes known to cause diarrhoea considered together were the most likely cause of chronic diarrhoea in such

••

patients.

Cryptosporidium

~,Isospora

belli,

and

iii Strongyloides stercoralis were the most likely cause of chronic diarrhoea among the patients. Development of clinical infection due to parasites known to cause diarrhoea was found to be related to the immunological status (clinical stage) of the AIDS patients. It is recommended to strengthen home based care for AIDS patients as well as laboratory facilities at all levels of health care delivery centres for diagnosing specific intestinal parasites in AIDS patients so as to institute specific therapies thereby improving the quality of life of such patients. A comprehensive case-control study, to establish cause and effect of the various agents isolated from AIDS patients with chronic diarrhoea is proposed. There is a need to determine the type of drugs which will be suitable for the treatment of opportunistic infections which may interact with AIDS in our set up.