Molecular Epidemiology of Cryptosporidium Species, in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Patients Attending Selected Hospitals in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Cryptosporidium infection is transmitted through the faecal oral route, mostly through the consumption of contaminated water. The current study was aimed at detecting Cryptosporidium species in 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 study area. Faecal samples were analyzed using formal diethylacetateusing the cheesbrough vortex and polymerase chain reaction technique to detect the presence of Cryptosporidium species. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium species among HIV patients attending selected Hospitals in Nasarawa state was 29 (26.4%) Cryptosporidium parvum (25.5%) and Cryptosporidium hominis (11.8%). Prevalence in relation to health care centers was highest in OLHA (24.0%) and lowest in DASH (17.1%). In relation to gender, the prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum was higher in males (35.7%) than females (19.1%) and Cryptosporidium hominis was higher in males (11.9%) than in females (11.8%). The Prevalence in relation occupation showed that Cryptosporidium parvumwas highest among the business class (40.0%) and lowest among students (14.8%) while Cryptosporidium hominis had high prevalence among civil servants (18.8%), but low among others (17.14%). The prevalence in relation to age shows that Cryptosporidium parvumhad the highest prevalence at age 31-45 years (38.0%) and lowest at age 16-30 years (12.0%). While Cryptosporidium hominis had the highest prevalence at ages of 0-15 years (22.0%) and the lowest at age 16-30 years (7.5%). There was no significant difference between the different age groups at P > 0.05. The prevalence in relation to education shows Cryptosporidium parvumhad the highest prevalence among the uneducated (37.5%) and lowest among primary education (20%), while Cryptosporidium hominis, the highest prevalence was among the uneducated (18.8%) and lowest was among primary education (17.4%). The prevalence in relation to livestock farming shows Cryptosporidium parvum had a prevalence of 58.0% amongst livestock farmers and 10.0% among non-livestock farmers. Cryptosporidium hominis had 25.0% among livestock farmers and 7.0% among non-livestock farmer. It is interesting to note the high prevalence rate of cryptosporidium infection in the study area. This study establishes that Cryptosporidiasis is a coinfection amongst HIV infection individuals thereby further predisposing such patients to more health hazards. Cryptosporidiasis is therefore a contaminant disease.