title: Intestinal protozoans in adults with diarrhea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diarrhea is one of the most common presenting complaints in human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study was designed to determine the magnitude of opportunistic and nonopportunistic intestinal parasitic infections among diarrheal patients and association between CD4(+) T-cell counts and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected intestinal parasites.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted among 207 enrolled diarrheal patients attending HIV integrated counseling and testing center from January 2012 to December 2012. Stool samples were subjected to special modified Ziehl-Neelsen and chromotrope staining method for detection of opportunistic protozoans. Blood samples were also collected from all study subjects for HIV testing and CD4(+) T-cell counts were estimated by only in HIV-infected patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intestinal parasitic pathogens were detected in 46.1% HIV-infected patients and the major pathogens were opportunistic protozoans 32.2% (37/115), most common being Isospora belli 16.5% (19/115) followed by Cryptosporidium parvum 12.2% (14/115). In HIV noninfected diarrheal patients, major pathogens detected were Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar 8.7% (8/92) and Ascaris lumbricoides 3.3% (3/92).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The opportunistic intestinal protozoans especially I. belli and C. parvum were most commonly isolated in HIV-infected patients with diarrhea. Majority of the infections occurred in patients when a CD4(+) T-cell counts were less than 200 cells/μl.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur University, Odisha, India.
authors.forename: Muktikesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dash
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur University, Odisha, India.
authors.forename: Sanghamitra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Padhi
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur University, Odisha, India.
authors.forename: Pritilata
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Panda
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur University, Odisha, India.
authors.forename: Banojini
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Parida
keywords: Cryptosporidium parvum; human immunodeficiency virus; intestinal protozoans; isospora belli; opportunistic