Prevalence of Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Candidiasis among those Living with HIV Positive Patients in Two Medical Centres in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are predisposed to tuberculosis and co-infections from many pathogens. Hence, the objective of this paper was to investigate the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis and candidiasis among those living with HIV in Two Medical Centres in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria using Standard methods. The results obtained showed that 136 (64.76 %) of the HIV patients also had fungal infection, 36 (17.14 %) had co-infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, 37 (17.62 %) were neither infected with M. tuberculosis nor Candida spp. and 1 (0.48 %) had tuberculosis infection. Prevalence of resistant rifampicin M. tuberculosis among HIV patients was 6 (2.85 %) while candidiasis and M. tuberculosis co-infection among the patients was 30 (83.33 %). That which involved Candida albicans and M. tuberculosis had the highest percentage of occurrence 25 (83.33 %). HIV patients between 28 - 36 years had the highest 15 (50 %) number of cases of co-infection. Among the study population, the prevalence of co-infection in males and females was 11 (15.27 %) and 19 (13.76 %), respectively. Anaemia was observed in highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and HAART-naïve patients. Due to lower prevalence of rifampicin resistance and anaemia among HARRT patients compared with HART-naïve patients, the Ministry of Health and relevant government and private agencies should intensive efforts to provide affordable/free antiretroviral treatment to HIV patients.