Detection of intestinal microsporidiosis in diarrhoeal patients infected with the human immunideficiency virus (HIV-1) using PCR and Uvitex-2B stain.

A total of 105 single fresh stool samples were collected from diarrhoeal patients with (80 HIV-positive and 25 HIV-negative) from the Army and the Police hospitals, Addis Ababa. The stool samples were processed by water-ether sedimentation method; they were stained with Uvitex-2B technique for microscopic detection of intestinal microsporidium. A portion of all samples were preserved in 200microl PBS containing 2% PVPP ((Polyvinylpolypyrolidone) for confirmation with PCR. 18/105(17.2%) of the cases were positive for intestinal microsporidial infection by at least one method. 8/105 (7.6%) positive both by microscopy and PCR and 10/105 (9.5%) were positive only by PCR. All microsporidia positive cases were also HIV positive. Based on PCR analysis, 15 Enterocytozoon bieneusi and 3 Encephalitozoon intestinalis were identified. This study has shown that intestinal microsporidiosis is a common cause of chronic diarrhoea in advanced AIDS patients and this is mainly attributed to Enterocytozoon bieneusi. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of intestinal microsporidiosis in Ethiopia. It has an important implication for the understanding of the aetiology of diarrhoea in HIV/AIDS patients in the country.