HIV and tuberculosis co-infection in a highly HIV-infected population of rivers state, Nigeria.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) are considered as key players in the global health scene. This study sought to determine the prevalence of TB among HIV-positive attendees of the Directly Observed Treatment of Short Course (DOTS) program at the military hospital in Port Harcourt. The association of HIV prevalence with gender and age as risk factors was also determined. A total of 200 patients aged 15-65 years were screened. Re-screening for HIV was done for confirmation. The overall prevalence for anti-TB antibodies amongst HIV-positive individuals was 14.0% (7.5% in males and 6.5% in females) while HIV prevalence following re-screening was 92%. It was observed that based on employment status and level of education, the highest HIV prevalence was seen in unemployed individuals and individuals with no formal education. The result showed that 29.9% of the HIV seropositives were males while 70.1% were females. Sex-related prevalence of HIV-TB coinfection within groups indicated significantly higher co-infection rates (P < 0.05) among males (23.1%) than females (9.6%). Age-related prevalence of HIV-TB coinfection within groups showed that co-infection was significantly greater (P < 0.05) in ages below 30 years (21.2%) than in their counterparts 30 years and above (9.6%). This study confirmed the presence of TB co-infections among HIV-positive individuals in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Considering the role of TB in driving the HIV pandemic, it is imperative that HIV-positive patients are screened for TB infection regularly to reduce the scale of active HIV-TB co-infection.