Prevalence and associated factors of intestinal parasite infection by HIV infection status among asymptomatic adults in rural Gabon

Introduction: Intestinal parasites infections are endemic in Gabon. Nevertheless, they are rarely described in people living with HIV (PLHIV). Objective: The frequency of intestinal parasite infection was estimated and compared between HIV-positive and HIV uninfected individuals in Gabon; factors associated with intestinal parasites were also analysed. Material and Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design sociodemographic data, life style habits, antiretroviral therapy, cotrimoxazole use and CD4 cell count were recorded.. Stool samples from participants living in Koulamoutou and Oyem were analysed using microscopy. Chi-squared or fisher\u2019s exact tests and logistic regression were performed. Results: Among participants (n=332), female gender was predominant (73.7%; n=135/183) and the median age was 45 [33-57] years old. Among 183 samples, 53.6% (n = 98/183) were infected by intestinal parasites. The proportion was higher (72.1%) in HIV negative participants compared to PLHIV (42.6%) (p <0.01). PLHIV were more frequently poly-infected. Infection was frequent in patients using external toilets and tap water (>70.0%). Conclusion: Prevalence of intestinal parasites is higher in seronegative participants but polyparasitism is more frequent in PLHIV. Strategies are focused on HIV negative population, but this study shows the importance of sensitization for PLHIV to improve their quality of life

Facteurs influençant la perte de vue et la mortalité chez les personnes vivant avec le VIH suivies au Centre de Traitement Ambulatoire de Koula-Moutou (Gabon) de 2005 à 2015

Introduction: Cette étude avait pour but principal d'évaluer les facteurs biologiques et cliniques associés aux pertes de vue et à la mortalité des patients suivis au Centre de Traitement Ambulatoire VIH/SIDA (CTA) de Koula-Moutou. Méthodes: De 2005 à 2015, 1268 patients ont été suivis au CTA. Le diagnostic sérologique du VIH et le comptage des cellules T CD4 ont été réalisés respectivement par les kits commerciaux Determine, SD Bioline, Immunocombs et par les réactifs FACS Count. Résultats: La majorité des patients suivis était de sexe féminin (66,8%) et recevait un traitement antirétroviral (TAR) de 1ere ligne (63,3%). Les pertes de vue et la mortalité a concerné respectivement 33,5% et 24,6% des patients. La perte de vue était significativement associée à l'absence de prise du TAR (p<0,001) et à un taux de CD4>500 cellules/mm3 à l'inclusion (p<0,001). La mortalité était plus élevée chez les hommes que chez les femmes (p=0,006). Elle était significativement réduite chez les patients en 1ere ligne du TAR (p=0,003) et ceux ayant un taux de CD4>500 cellules/mm3 à l'inclusion (p<0,001). La mortalité des patients très élevée à l'ouverture du CTA en 2005, a connu une réduction significative entre 2013 et 2015, passant de 4,8% à 1,6% (p<0,001). Conclusion: Cette étude décrit l'épidémiologie du VIH dans une zone rurale du Gabon. Elle donne les causes des pertes de vue et de la mortalité des patients suivis dans un des dix (10) CTA du pays.Pan African Medical Journal 2016; 2

Trends of blood-borne infectious diseases in a rural blood donation center of southeast Gabon (Koula-Moutou)

Introduction: blood-borne pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C (HBV and HCV) viruses and Treponema pallidum remain a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency and clinical implications of HIV, HBV, HCV and Treponema pallidum markers in blood donors in a rural area of Southeast Gabon (Koula-Moutou) from 2012 to 2017. Methods: hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HIV, anti-HCV and anti-Treponema pallidum antibodies were screened using rapid diagnostic tests. Results: of a total of 5,706 blood donors, 1,054 (18.5%) were seropositive for at least one infectious marker and 59 (5.6%) had serologic evidence of multiple infections. The overall seroprevalence of HIV, HBsAg, HCV, and syphilis was 3.1%; 5.9%; 6.2% and 3.3%, respectively. HIV, syphilis and HCV distributions were associated with neither the sex nor the age of the donors. Only HBsAg seroprevalence was significantly higher in donors of the age group 26-35 years old compared to donors of the age group 36-45 years (OR = 1.43 (95% CI: 1.01-2.04), P = 0.045). There was a significant increase in the frequencies of HIV and syphilis and a regression of HBsAg and HCV among blood donors. Conclusion: this study presents the epidemiology of the main pathogens detected in blood donors in a rural area in Gabon. We found that the overall distribution of transfusion transmitted infectious diseases were lower than those observed in the general population but could be underestimated due to the use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in the screening process of the blood donations