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A Survey of Bacterial and Fungal Oppurtunistic Infections among HIV Clients in Kano Metropolis
Abstract
(40%, n = 72), then followed by 15-20 years ( 40%, n = 72 ), while the lowest number was recorded among 5 – 14 years. CD4 cells count categorization by WHO showed highest number of
HIV positive among those with CD4 cells of ≥ 500 cells/ml with 37 cases (51% n = 72), then followed by those in the third category with CD4 count of ≤ 200 cell/ml (28%, n = 72) while in the category of 200 – 499 cell/ml, 15 cases (21% n= 72) were recorded. The overall organisms isolated among the 72 HIV positive patients were 139 as follows: Streptococcus pneumoniae (4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (11%), Pseudomonas aerugenosa (19%), Haemophilus influenzae (4% ), Acid Fast Bacilli (23%), Candida albicans (26%), Aspergillus species (11%), Cryptococcus neoformans (1.4%), and Histoplasma capsulatum (0.6%). Highest number of the opportunistic pathogens was recorded in the ≤200 cell/ml CD4 category with 61 organisms while the other two categories both recorded 39 organisms each. In this study therefore, the number of the
opportunistic pathogens isolated among HIV positives indicates significant co-existence of polymicrobial infection due to immune suppression (p < 0.05). Also significant association was
found between low CD4 cells count of ≤200 cells/ml and the occurrence of major opportunistic bacterial and fungal pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Candida albicans ( p < 0.05) respectively.
Key words: HIV, AIDS, Bacteria, Fungi, Opportunistic pathogens, CD4 cells.