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Page 52
Microbiol Biotechnol Rep | Volume 1, Issue 2
November 16-17, 2017 Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Annual Congress on
Mycology and Fungal Infections
Pulmonary zygomycosis among HIV/AIDS subjects with respiratory symptoms in
Calabar, Nigeria
Ofonime M Ogba, Lydia N Abia-Bassey
and
James Epoke
University of Calabar, Nigeria
Introduction:
Zygomycosis is a rare infection but the incidence is on the rise as a result of increased use of
chemotherapy and steroids among immunosuppressed patients. It is an invasive angiotropic infection with fungi
of the
Mucorales
order, which includes Mucor species,
Rhizopus
species,
Rhizomucor
species, and multiple
others. The second most common form of the infection is pulmonary.
Materials & Methods:
HIV-positive subjects with respiratory symptoms were enrolled for the study. Subjects
selection was based on HIV screening and the ability to produce sputum. A structured questionnaire was
administered to all the subjects after obtaining their informed consent for demographic data. Ethical approval
was obtained from the ethical research committee, UCTH, Calabar, Nigeria. Blood samples were obtained for
CD4 count determination to ascertain the immune status of the patients. Sputum samples produced early in
the morning were obtained twice from the subjects and subjected to macroscopy, microscopy and culture. The
immune status of the subjects was assessed by CD4 count levels. Identification to the species complex level was
performed by macroscopic and microscopic morphology.
Results:
Rhyzopus arrhyzus
50.0% and
Litchthenia
species 50% were the only
Mucorales
encountered among
subjects in this study. 3.0% pulmonary zygomycosis prevalence was recorded in the study. Subjects with
Rhizopus
arrhyzus
infection presented hemoptysis and cough while those with Absidia infection presented with
variable symptoms including; cough, chest pain, sinusitis and fever. The mean CD4 counts of subjects with and
without zygomycosis were 123.0±136.2 351.3±254.3 respectively. There was a statistically significant effect of
zygomycosis on the CD4 counts of subjects (t=2.18, p=0.02).
Conclusion:
This study reveals that pulmonary zygomycosi is a health problem among HIV/AIDS patients in our
locality. The immune status may have been influenced by the infection.
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