Prevalence of Cryptosporidium oocyts, amongst human immunodeficiency virus patients attending selected hospitals in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Cryptosporidium a protozoan parasite affects the intestines and is typically an acute short-term infection. The disease is spread through the fecal oral route, often through contaminated water. The study was aimed at determining the prevalence of cryptosporidium oocysts amongst Human Immunodeficiency Virus patients attending selected Hospitals in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. A total of one hundred and ten stool samples were collected from HIV patients attending selected Hospitals in the study area. Faecal samples were analysed using formal diethylacetate the cheesbrough vortex method to detect the presence of cryptosporidium oocysts. The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium oocyts among HIV patients attending selected Hospitals in Nasarawa state was 29 (26.4%). The prevalence in relation to health care canters was highest in FMCK (26.7%) and lowest in DASH (8.6%). In relation to gender, the prevalence was higher in males with (23.8%) than in females (13.2%). The Prevalence of Cryptosporidium oocyts amongst HIV patients attending selected Hospitals in the study area in relation to occupation showed that patients in other occupation had the highest prevalence (28.6%) with the lowest in farmers (11.1%). The prevalence of Cryptosporidium oocyts in relations to age among HIV patients in the selected health care centres shows that the highest prevalence was amongst range age 0-15 years and 46-60 years (21.4%) with the lowest was for age range 16-30years (7.41%). There was no significant difference between the different age groups (P > 0.05). Prevalence of Cryptosporidium oocyts in relation to educational status of patients showed highest prevalence among the uneducated (25.0%) and the least was among primary school (8.70%). The prevalence of Cryptosporidium oocyts amongst HIV patients in relation to livestock farming occupations was higher prevalence among livestock farmers (32.0 %) than non-livestock farmers (9.59%).). this study shows that infection in patients who are livestock farmers was more preponderant indicating that these category of the study population are both highly susceptible to the parasite and could therefore be more capable as agents of its distribution calling to for a more curious concer on these carriers as agents in the epidemiological cycle of cryptosporichosis.