Seroprevalence of HIV infection among the foreign students at Agra during a fifteen year period (1988-2002).
The present study reports a retrospective analysis of data of HIV testing of foreign students from Sub-Saharan Africa, South-East Asia and Europe, studying as well as staying at Agra, over a period of 15 yr (1988 to 2002). Of the 2653 [2092 (78.85%) were from the Sub-Saharan African countries, 377 (14.21%) from the South-East Asian countries, and 184 (6.93%) from the European countries], foreign students tested for HIV, only 26 were found to be positive for HIV-1/2 antibodies by the ELISA, rapid and Western Blot assays. Out of 26 HIV-positive, 17 males and 7 females were from Sub-Saharan Africa and 2 males were from the European countries. The range of HIV-positivity over a period of 15 yr varied greatly. When the five-year (1988-1992, 1993-1997 and 1998-2002) results were compared, the HIV-seropositivity showed a decline from 1.85, 0.50 to 0.36 per cent in the first, second and third 5 yr slots, respectively. While the data were not representative of all foreign students in India, this reflected the population tested in this centre was not a growing focus of HIV infection in this part of the country.
Hussain
Tahziba
T
HIV/AIDS Unit, National JALMA Institute for Leprosy & Other Mycobacterial Diseases (Indian Council of Medical Research), Tajganj, Agra, India. tahziba_hussain@hotmail.com
Kulshreshtha
K K
KK
Sood
Sumita
S
Arif
Mohd
M
Sinha
Shikha
S
Yadav
V S
VS
Sengupta
U
U
Katoch
V M
VM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000208:ethnology; D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000208:ethnology; D005060:Europe / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013334:Students