Study of Intestinal Parasitic Infections in Immunocompromised Subjects Attending at Tertiary Care Setup of Tripura, North East India
Author(s): Tapan Majumdar*, Uma Debbarma and Rajesh Debbarma
Abstract
Introduction: Intestinal parasites continue to be a significant health problem among immunocompromised patients with HIV AIDS in both developed and developing countries. The infestations cause a variety of clinical conditions ranging from asymptomatic to life-threatening situations. Aims: The present study was undertaken to determine the frequency of intestinal parasitic infection among immunocompromised subjects attending a tertiary health care setup in Tripura. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2015 to October 2017 among the immunocompromised subjects attending the Medicine Department, and allied clinics, and appropriate preparation and examination were done to detect trophozoites, ova, and cysts. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 15.0 Result: Out of 380 stool samples, 64.21% belong to males. The majority of the patients were between 31 and 40 years old. Intestinal parasites were detected in 6.31% of immunocompromised subjects of which ascaris lumbricoides, ancylostoma duodenale, giardia lamblia, strongyloidiasis stercoralis, enterobius vermicularis endolimax nana, cryptosporidium parvum, and isospora belli were found. This study also shows the maximum number of parasites detected in HIV/AIDS patients followed by malignancy, diabetes mellitus, and others. Conclusion: The present study concluded that every 1/10th of immunocompromised patients had intestinal parasitic infections whereas males are more predominantly infested. Non-tribal are more prone to intestinal parasitic infections. The detection of parasites was highest among HIV/AIDS patients and Ascaris lumbricoides was the most common parasite detected.