Detection of human immunodeficiency virus among individuals presenting with febrile illness in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the aetiological agent of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which is a chronic and potentially life-threatening condition. Fever is mostly associated with the early stage of virus replication known as acute HIV infection or  syndrome; as such, determination of HIV status during this critical period is a good means of improving clinical outcome in those infected. Thus, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of HIV among febrile individuals in Lagos, Nigeria.

Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study of 250 febrile individuals attending General Hospitals at Isolo, Mushin and Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria. Analysis was carried out at the Virology Research Laboratory, Central Research Laboratory, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos from July to October 2017. Sample analysis was done according to the Nigerian National Testing Algorithm to determine HIV status using Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) and data analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.

Results: Out of the 250 febrile participants, 8 were positive for HIV, with an overall prevalence of 3.2%. Further analysis however showed that 90% of the HIV positive participants had four or more episodes of fever in a month. HIV infection was still majorly among the ages 15-24 and 25-34 for male and ages 25-34, 35-44 and 45-54 for females.

Conclusion: This findings showed that different cohorts are significantly at risk of HIV infection. Hence, policies and all efforts to reduce the burden of HIV are paramount for a HIV free future for Nigeria.

Keywords: Acute Retroviral Syndrome (ARS), Fever, Asymptomatic and  Enzyme–Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA).