SEROPREVALENCE OF CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS CO-INFECTION WITH HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS AMONG WOMEN ATTENDING CLINICS IN ZARIA METROPOLIS, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA.

Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis also known as the “Silent Epidemic” is a major threat to the reproductive health of women and a possible silent cofactor in the heterosexual spread of HIV in Africa. This study was aimed at determining the seroprevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis co-infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus among women attending clinics in Zaria metropolis, Kaduna State. Each participant completed a researcher-devised questionnaire and quasi design was used in the selection of hospitals. Subsequently about 5mls of peripheral blood for serological analysis was obtained after informed consent. Presence of antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis was determined using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) to detect IgG and screening for HIV was also done using Determine® HIV 1/2 as well as Uni-GoldTM HIV Test Kits. Out of the two hundred and seventy (270) samples collected, 32(11.9%) were positive for Chlamydia trachomatis IgG, 7(2.6%) for HIV and co-infection of Chlamydia trachomatis and HIV occurred in 1(0.4%) of the total population. Chlamydia trachomatis prevalence was found to increase with decrease in age with 11.5% in age groups 15-20 among pregnant women while in non-pregnant women, it was highest in <15 years 100.0%. Chlamydial infection was found to be significantly associated with level of education, marital status, number of years in marriage with those who have stayed in marriage for 26–30 years having the highest prevalence 50.0% among the women. Women in their third trimester of pregnancy had the highest prevalence 15.7% of chlamydial infection and it was found to be statistically significantly. There was no significant association between chlamydial infection and occupation, subjects’ husbands’ occupation, family type, number of sexual partners, age of women at first childbirth and also based on clinical symptoms. Similarly with HIV infection, significant association was found to exist with marital status and years spent in marriage among the women. Age, occupation, level of education, family type was not found to be significantly associated with HIV infection. No significant association also exist xvii between HIV infection and number of sexual partners as well as age of women at first childbirth. So also, history of stillbirth, history of premature birth, history of miscarriage and history of infertility showed no significant association with HIV infection among the women. Hence, there is an urgent need for a national policy on routine screening for Chlamydia trachomatis as treatment is cheap and effective, while the attendant morbidity resulting from delayed diagnosis is more difficult to manage and associated with severe sequelae.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMEMTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTERS DEGREE IN MICROBIOLOGY, DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY, FACULTY OF SCIENCE, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA. JUNE, 2014.
Keywords
SEROPREVALENCE,, CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS,, CO-INFECTION,, HUMAN,, IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS,, WOMEN,, ATTENDING CLINICS,, ZARIA,, METROPOLIS,, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA.
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