Prevalence of various fungal infections among HIV/AIDS patients

Objectives Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated opportunistic fungal infections (OFI) are a major cause of mortality and morbidity in HIV-seropositive patients. This prospective study aimed to isolate various fungal pathogens from HIV seropositive patients and to identify and characterize these fungal pathogens at the species level in India. Material and Methods Based on clinical signs and symptoms, various clinical specimens (n=323) were collected from (n=200) HIV-seropositive patients in the adult age group of either sex and underwent direct microscopy and fungal culture. Fungal isolates were identified and specified according to a standard protocol. Statistical analysis: All data were collected and analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Results Out of 323 samples from 200 HIV-seropositive patients with a suspected fungal infection, fungal isolates were found in 89 cases, or 27.56% of cases. The most frequently isolated fungal organism was Candida species (75.28%), followed by Cryptococcus neoformans (17.97%), Aspergillus species (4.48%), Alterneria species (1.12%), and Trichophyton mentagrophyte (1.12%). Amongst 67 Candida species, Candida albicans had the highest isolation rate (88.05%), followed by Candida tropicalis (5.97%), Candida parasilosis (2.98%), and Candida auris (2.98%). Conclusion Oropharyngeal candidiasis followed by cryptococcal meningitis was the most common OFI among other fungal infections. This study would help clinicians in the proper diagnosis and early treatment of these infections to prevent their devastating effects in developing countries like India.