High Clinical Burden of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. in Adult Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency in Ghana

There is a paucity of information on the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical correlates of people living with HIV (PLWH) who are co-infected with <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. in the post-combined antiretroviral therapy era in Ghana. To provide such data, in this observational study, st...

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Main Authors: Fred Stephen Sarfo, Hagen Frickmann, Albert Dompreh, Shadrack Osei Asibey, Richard Boateng, Felix Weinreich, Edmund Osei Kuffour, Betty Roberta Norman, Veronica Di Cristanziano, Torsten Feldt, Kirsten Alexandra Eberhardt
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Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Microorganisms
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/11/2151
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author Fred Stephen Sarfo
Hagen Frickmann
Albert Dompreh
Shadrack Osei Asibey
Richard Boateng
Felix Weinreich
Edmund Osei Kuffour
Betty Roberta Norman
Veronica Di Cristanziano
Torsten Feldt
Kirsten Alexandra Eberhardt
author_facet Fred Stephen Sarfo
Hagen Frickmann
Albert Dompreh
Shadrack Osei Asibey
Richard Boateng
Felix Weinreich
Edmund Osei Kuffour
Betty Roberta Norman
Veronica Di Cristanziano
Torsten Feldt
Kirsten Alexandra Eberhardt
author_sort Fred Stephen Sarfo
collection DOAJ
description There is a paucity of information on the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical correlates of people living with HIV (PLWH) who are co-infected with <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. in the post-combined antiretroviral therapy era in Ghana. To provide such data, in this observational study, stool samples of 640 HIV-positive and 83 HIV-negative individuals in Ghana were screened for <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. Additionally, sociodemographic parameters, clinical symptoms, medication intake, and immunological parameters were assessed. The prevalence of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. was 11.8% (n = 73) in HIV-positive and 1.2% (n = 1) in HIV-negative participants (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Within the group of HIV-positive participants, the prevalence reached 26.0% in patients with CD4+ T cell counts below 200 cells/µL and 46.2% in the subgroup with CD4+ T cell counts below 50 cells/µL. The frequencies of the clinical manifestation of weight loss and gastrointestinal symptoms were significantly higher in patients with <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. compared to those without co-infection (45.8% vs. 21.4%, <i>p</i> < 0.001 and 22.2% vs. 12.2%, <i>p</i> = 0.031, respectively). In the modern post-cART era, the acquisition of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. among PLWH in Ghana is driven largely by the degree of immunosuppression. Access to cART and screening for <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. as part of routine care might help control and reduce the burden of the infection.
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spelling doaj-art-e98043527e8d4a5e8c8ac00c56dcf7432025-08-20T02:05:06ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072024-10-011211215110.3390/microorganisms12112151High Clinical Burden of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. in Adult Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency in GhanaFred Stephen Sarfo0Hagen Frickmann1Albert Dompreh2Shadrack Osei Asibey3Richard Boateng4Felix Weinreich5Edmund Osei Kuffour6Betty Roberta Norman7Veronica Di Cristanziano8Torsten Feldt9Kirsten Alexandra Eberhardt10Department of Medicine, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi 00233, GhanaDepartment of Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Bundeswehr Hospital Hamburg, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyDepartment of Clinical Microbiology, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi 00233, GhanaDepartment of Medicine, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi 00233, GhanaDepartment of Clinical Microbiology, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi 00233, Ghana1 German-Netherlands Corps, 48143 Münster, GermanyLaboratory of Retrovirology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USADepartment of Medicine, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi 00233, GhanaInstitute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, GermanyClinic of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, GermanyDepartment of Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine and I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyThere is a paucity of information on the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical correlates of people living with HIV (PLWH) who are co-infected with <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. in the post-combined antiretroviral therapy era in Ghana. To provide such data, in this observational study, stool samples of 640 HIV-positive and 83 HIV-negative individuals in Ghana were screened for <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. Additionally, sociodemographic parameters, clinical symptoms, medication intake, and immunological parameters were assessed. The prevalence of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. was 11.8% (n = 73) in HIV-positive and 1.2% (n = 1) in HIV-negative participants (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Within the group of HIV-positive participants, the prevalence reached 26.0% in patients with CD4+ T cell counts below 200 cells/µL and 46.2% in the subgroup with CD4+ T cell counts below 50 cells/µL. The frequencies of the clinical manifestation of weight loss and gastrointestinal symptoms were significantly higher in patients with <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. compared to those without co-infection (45.8% vs. 21.4%, <i>p</i> < 0.001 and 22.2% vs. 12.2%, <i>p</i> = 0.031, respectively). In the modern post-cART era, the acquisition of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. among PLWH in Ghana is driven largely by the degree of immunosuppression. Access to cART and screening for <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. as part of routine care might help control and reduce the burden of the infection.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/11/2151HIVcryptosporidiosisparasitesub-Saharaenteric infectiondiarrhea
spellingShingle Fred Stephen Sarfo
Hagen Frickmann
Albert Dompreh
Shadrack Osei Asibey
Richard Boateng
Felix Weinreich
Edmund Osei Kuffour
Betty Roberta Norman
Veronica Di Cristanziano
Torsten Feldt
Kirsten Alexandra Eberhardt
High Clinical Burden of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. in Adult Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency in Ghana
Microorganisms
HIV
cryptosporidiosis
parasite
sub-Sahara
enteric infection
diarrhea
title High Clinical Burden of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. in Adult Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency in Ghana
title_full High Clinical Burden of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. in Adult Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency in Ghana
title_fullStr High Clinical Burden of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. in Adult Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency in Ghana
title_full_unstemmed High Clinical Burden of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. in Adult Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency in Ghana
title_short High Clinical Burden of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. in Adult Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency in Ghana
title_sort high clinical burden of i cryptosporidium i spp in adult patients with acquired immunodeficiency in ghana
topic HIV
cryptosporidiosis
parasite
sub-Sahara
enteric infection
diarrhea
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/11/2151
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