Potential risk factors for Cryptosporidium infection among HIV/AIDS patients in central areas of Thailand

Abstract

Background: Cryptosporidiosis is very common in patients with HIV/AIDS and remains a threat to public health. A cross-sectional analytical study to determine the prevalence and identify potential risk factors associated with Cryptosporidium infection among HIV/AIDS patients was conducted. Methods: In the study of 143 HIV/AIDS adult patients with diarrhea, a total of 23 cases with Cryptosporidium infection and 120 cases with Cryptosporidium negative were reported during the study period. Results: Results revealed that the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis was 16.1%. In a stratified analysis controlling for gender, factors associated with Cryptosporidium infection were history of diarrhea >21 days, CD4+count ≤50 cells/mm3, and WBC count <4,000 cells/mm3. Conclusion: These findings confirmed that there was a strong association between cryptosporidiosis and CD4+count. Such information may provide possible recommended strategies for preventing cryptosporidiosis in HIV/AIDS persons. © 2007 Springer-Verlag.