Assessment of intestinal parasites and associated factors among HIV/AIDS patients on antiretroviral therapy at Bule Hora General Hospital, West Guji, Ethiopia

Objective: The study aimed to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasites and associated factors among people living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy at Bule Hora General Hospital, West Guji, Oromia, Ethiopia. Introduction: Parasitic infection of the intestinal tract is a major source of disease in patients with HIV, particularly in the tropics, where diarrhea is a common complaint with variable severity. Method: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May to August 2021 on 179 systematic randomly selected HIV patients. Data on sociodemographics were collected by interviewing the study subjects using a pretested structured questionnaire. Stool specimens were collected from the study subjects and processed and examined by formolether concentration techniques. Data were obtained from each individual using data sheets and then entered into SPSS version 20 for analysis. The chi-square test was calculated, and a p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of 179 study subjects, 52 (29.1%) were infected with intestinal parasites. The most frequently detected parasites were Giardia lamblia (38.5%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (25%) Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (15.4%), followed by Strongyloides stercoralis (I 1.5%). Factors such as the CD4 + T-cell status and source of drinking water were significantly associated with the prevalence of intestinal parasites among HIV/AIDS patients. The prevalence of intestinal parasites was highly observed among patients who scored CD4 + T cells <200 cells/mm(3) 90.4% (47/52) and drink ground water 73.1% (38/52). Conclusion: There was moderate prevalence of intestinal parasites among HIV/AIDS patients; therefore, treating unprotected water before drinking and diagnosis of early parasites for HIV/AIDS patients whose CD4+ T-cell count is less than 200 cells/mm(3) should be practiced to prevent intestinal parasite infection.