Cryptosporidiosis In HIV/AIDS Patients And Children With Diarrhoea In Accra

ABSTRACT Although Cryptosporidium spp. infections in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients (AIDS) and children with diarrhoea have been reported in several African countries, there is scanty information regarding cryptosporidial diarrhoea in Ghana. This study investigated occurrence of C. parvum in HIV/AIDS patients and children up to five years with diarrhoea in the Greater Accra Region. It was a cross sectional study, with Fevers Unit, Child Health Department in the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and Korle-Bu Polyclinic as the settings. A total of 278 samples were taken. Sixty-two (62) o f these were clinically diagnosed HIV/AIDS patients with diarrhoea controlled by 96 HIVseronegative patients also with diarrhoea. Among the children up to 5years, 63 had diarrhoea while 57 were without diarrhoea. Cryptosporidium oocysts were stained using the Kiyoung’s modified Ziehl Neelsen staining technique, examined microscopically and confirmed by the ELISA Technique. Analysis o f stool specimen from clinically diagnosed HIV/ADDS (n=62) and HIV-seronegative patients (n=96) patients revealed C. parvum in 16 (25.8%) of HTV/AIDS and 0 (0%) o f the HIV-seronegative patients, respectively. For the children under five, analysis of the 63 patients with diarrhoea and 57 without diarrhoea showed a prevalence o f 15.9% and 3.5% respectively. There was no concomitant association between C. parvum and any other parasite found. In conclusion, this study demonstrates a higher prevalence o f Cryptosporidium sp. in HIV/AIDS and children less than five years with diarrhoea in Accra. The prevalence o f Cryptosporidium was found to be more prevalent in HIV/AIDS patients (25.8%) more than the control group who were HIV-seronegative but with diarrhoea (^=21.69, p value =0.0000032). With the children under five years it was found that prevalence was more in those children with diarrhoea (15.8%) than those without diarrhoea (x.2=4.20, p value =0.00405). However when the prevalence found in children with diarrhoea is compared to that in HIV/AIDS with diarrhoea, it was realized that statistically, there was no significant difference in prevalence ( x H 23, p value =0.2677). Among the children the most vulnerable group was those under 2 years.