International Journal of STD & AIDS > Volume 18, Number 9 > Pp. 626-629

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Original research articles

The utility of screening for parasitic infections in HIV-1-infected Africans with eosinophilia in London

Liat Sarner, Ade O Fakoya, Cheryl Tawana, Elizabeth Allen, Andrew J Copas, Peter L Chiodini and Kevin A Fenton

The Greenway Centre, Newham General Hospital, Glen Road, London E13 8SL, UK; The Greenway Centre, Newham General Hospital, Glen Road, London E13 8SL, UK; The Greenway Centre, Newham General Hospital, Glen Road, London E13 8SL, UK; Centre for Sexual Health and HIV Research, The Royal Free and University College Medical School, Mortimer Market Centre, 7th Floor, Holborn Gate, 330 High Holborn, London, UK; Centre for Sexual Health and HIV Research, The Royal Free and University College Medical School, Mortimer Market Centre, 7th Floor, Holborn Gate, 330 High Holborn, London, UK; Department of Clinical Parasitology, Hospital for Tropical Diseases London, 7th Floor, Holborn Gate, 330 High Holborn, London, UK; The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 7th Floor, Holborn Gate, 330 High Holborn, London, UK; Centre for Sexual Health and HIV Research, The Royal Free and University College Medical School, Mortimer Market Centre, 7th Floor, Holborn Gate, 330 High Holborn, London, UK; HIV/STI Division, Health Protection Agency, 7th Floor, Holborn Gate, 330 High Holborn, London, UK

The presence of asymptomatic eosinophilia in HIV patients has been demonstrated to have a wide variety of causes. Untreated parasitic infections in immunocompromised individuals can have potentially serious consequences. The utility of screening for parasitic infections in immigrant HIV-positive Africans with eosinophilia was investigated in a UK-based HIV clinic. HIV-positive African patients with eosinophilia were matched with HIV-positive African controls without eosinophilia. More than half of African HIV patients with eosinophilia had positive parasitic serology, and were significantly more likely to have positive serology compared with African HIV patients without eosinophilia. This study shows that asymptomatic eosinophilia in HIV-1-infected Africans is strongly suggestive of underlying parasitic infection. Individuals with eosinophilia should thus be screened for parasitic infections according to the infections prevalent in the countries they have lived in or visited for substantial periods of time.

Key Words: HIV • AFRICA • EOSINOPHILIA • PARASITES • SCREENING

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