Contemporary Research Analysis Journal

A study was carried out among HIV-infected patients at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, between January 2023 and February 2024 to determine the prevalence of microsporidiasis among HIV-infected individuals.

Methods: Seven hundred and fifty (750) stool samples were collected from HIV-infected patients and 375 samples from their non-infected counterparts (matched for age, sex and socio-economic variables). Chromoptrope 2R staining and Ficoll-Hipaque techniques were used to isolate pure microsporidia spores from the stool samples.

Results: The prevalence of microsporidia isolates in the stool samples of 750 HIV-infected patients (42.4%) was significantly higher than among the HIV-non-infected subjects (19.2%) (P<0.05). The highest prevalence (77.3%) of microsporidia spores was recorded among the HIV-infected patients in the age group of 52–61 years while the least prevalence (26.4%) was from the age group of 2-11years. Whereas the prevalence of microsporidiasis was higher in females (36.1%) than in males (33.1%), the difference was however not statistically significant (P>0.05). There were 13 observed complications of microsporidiasis among the HIV-infected patients and the prevalences of these complications were significant P<0.05.

Conclusion: Microsporidiasis is prevalent among immuno-compromised (HIV/AIDS) patients with varying complications. Therefore, it is desirable that a drug of choice for the treatment of microsporidiasis should be developed. Health education campaigns to promote awareness, prevention and control of microsporidiasis should be mounted and routine laboratory search and identification of microsporidia in hospitals should be made mandatory and reportable. 

:Prevalence, Microsporidiasis, Complications, HIV-Positive, Nigeria

1. Al-Brhami K, Abdul-Ghani R, Al-Qobati SA. Intestinal microsporidiosis among HIV/AIDS patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in Sana’a city, Yemen: first report on prevalence and predictors. BMC Infectious Diseases, 2022; 22, 11. 
2. Araoye MO. Research methodology with statatistics for health and social sciences. ISBN 978-36450-8-0; mathadex, 2004.
3. Ayinmode AB, Zhang H, Dada-Adegbola HO, Xiao L. Cryptosporidium hominis subtypes and Enterocytozoon bieneusi genotypes in HIV-infected persons in Ibadan, Nigeria. Zoonoses and Public Health, 2014.; 61, 297–303. 
4. Bojko J, Reinke AW, Stentiford GD, Williams B, Rogers M, Bass D. Microsporidia: a new taxonomic, evolutionary, and ecological synthesis. Trends in Parasitology, 2022; 38, 642–659. 
5. Bryan RT, Weber R and Schwartz DA. Microsporidiosis in patients who are not infected with human immunodeficiency virus [letter; comment]. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 1997;24:534.
6. CDC. Microsporidia species control slide from stool samples, stained with Chromotrope2R. (Mix species, E. bieneusi 3-4 µm, E. cuniculi 1-2.8 µm) No. UN3373.26.
7. Corliss JO and Levine ND. Establishment of the Microsporidia as a new class in the protozoan subphylum Onidospora. Journal of Protozoology,1963; 10 (Suppl.) 26-27.
8. Diao NC, Zhao B, Chen Y, Wang Q, Chen ZY, Yang Y, Sun YH, Shi JF, Li JM, Shi K. Gong Q-L, Du R.. Prevalence of Eimeria spp. among goats in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 2022; 12, 806085. 
9. Ghoshal U, Kalra SK, Tejan N, Ranjan P, Dey A, Nityanand S. Prevalence and Genetic Characterization of Cryptosporidium and Microsporidia infecting hematological malignancy patients. Acta Parasitologica, 2021; 66, 508–516. 
10. Halanova M, Valencakova A, Jarcuska P, Halan M, Danisova O, Babinska I, Dedinska K, Cislakova L. Screening of opportunistic Encephalitozoon intestinalis and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in immunocompromised patients in Slovakia. Central European Journal of Public Health, 2019;  27, 330–334.
11. Han B, Pan G, Weiss LM. Microsporidiosis in humans. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 2021; 34, e0001020.
12. Ismail KA, Hawash YA, Saber T, Eed EM, Khalifa AS, Alsharif KF, Alghamdi SA, Khalifa AM, Khalifa OM, Althubiti HK, Alsofyani GM. Microsporidia infection in patients with autoimmune diseases. Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology, 2020; 38, 409–414. 
13. Javanmard E, Mirjalali H, Niyyati M, Jalilzadeh E, Tabaei SJ, Aghdaei HA, et al: Molecular and phylogenetic evidences of dispersion of human-infecting microsporidia to vegetable farms via irrigation with treated wastewater: one-year follow up. Int J Hyg Environ Health , 2018; 221(4):642–51. 
14. Karimi K, Mirjalali H, Niyyati M, Haghighi A, Pourhoseingholi MA, Sharifdini M, Naderi N, Zali MR. Molecular epidemiology of Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon sp., among immunocompromised and immunocompetent subjects in Iran. Microbial Pathogenesis, 2020; 141, 103988. 
15. Kaya F, Inkaya AC, Aksoy S, Abbasoglu O, Ertenli AI, Buyukasik Y, Arikan AS, Akyon Y, Erguven S. Investigation of intestinal protozoon prevalence in immunocompromised patients at a university hospital. Türkiye Parazitoloji Dergisi, 2021; 45, 39–44. 
16. Valenčáková A, Danišová O.  Molecular characterization of new genotypes Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Slovakia. Acta Trop. 2019;  1(191):217–20. 
17. Vecková T, Sak B, Samková E, Holubová N, Kicia M, Zajączkowska Ż, et al.  Raw Goat’s Milk, Fresh and Soft Cheeses as a Potential Source of Encephalitozoon cuniculi. Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2021.
18. Wang SS, Wang RJ, Fan XC, Liu TL, Zhang LX, Zhao GH. Prevalence and genotypes of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in China. Acta Trop ,2018; .1(183):142–52. 
19. Wichro E, Hoelzl D, Krause R, Bertha G, Reinthaler F and Wenisch C. Microsporidiosis in travel-associated chronic Diarrhoea in immune-competent patients. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2005; 73:285-287.