COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ASYMPTOMATIC BACTERIURIA AMONG HIV SERO-POSITIVE AND HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS IN PORT-HARCOURT, NIGERIA

Obi-Thomas Jane Nkechi*, Frank-Peterside Nnenna and Agbagwa Obakpororo Ejiro

ABSTRACT

The study aimed to analyse the incidence of Asymptomatic bacteriuria in Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) sero-positive and sero-negative individuals and the spectrum of bacterial uropathogens among these 2 populations in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. Both clean-catch, early morning urine and blood specimens were obtained from the HIV-positive individuals attending University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) and Braithwaite’s Memorial Specialist Hospital in Port-Harcourt. Same specimens were equally collected from HIV sero-negative individuals. The urine specimens were semi-quantitatively analyzed by culturing on Cysteine lactose deficient agar and the pure cultures identified by means of API 20E strips. Statistical analyses were carried out using students’ package for science students version 20.0 (USA). Of the 800 urine samples; 400 from each group, bacteriuria was diagnosed in HIV-positive subjects (203/400, 50.75%) and control group (96/400, 24.00%). The highest bacterial isolates from HIV and control groups were Escherichia coli (24.63%, 43.75%) trailed by Klebsiella species (20.69%, 10.42%), Pseudonomas species (16.75%, 22.92%), Proteus species (10.84%, 4.17%), Staphylococcus aureus (2.46%, 16.67%) and Candida albicans (1.97%, 2.08%) respectively. Enterobacter species and Providencia species, Alcaligenes species and Enterococcus faecalis with prevalence rates of 12.81%, 7.88%, 0.99% and 0.99% respectively were isolated only from HIV group. The difference in the levels of the CD4 and haemoglobin is statistically significant (p < 0.05) in the two groups. The study revealed that individuals who are positive for HIV are favorably to asymptomatic bacteriuria. Broader array and more divergent uropathogens were isolated among them than in healthy individuals.

Keywords: HIV, bacteriuria, haemoglobin, infection.