TB, HIV Co-Infection High Among Children in Undeveloped Countries

Incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is high among children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Northern Ethiopia, according to a recent study.

Findings from the study were presented by Yihum Mulugeta Alemu on August 22, 2017, at the 3rd Annual Congress on Infectious Diseases in San Francisco, California.
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In their study, Alemu and colleagues assessed 645 children with HIV from September 2009 to September 2014. Cox regression analysis was used to identify predictors for developing TB.

Results indicated that the incidence rate of TB was 4.2 per 100 child-years. Incidence was higher among participants who were not on cotrimoxazole or isoniazid preventive therapy, had delayed motor development, had a CD4 cell count below the threshold, had a hemoglobin level less than 10 mg/dl, and had clinical stage III or IV HIV based on World Health Organization (WHO) criteria.

“Incidence of TB in children living with HIV was high,” the researchers concluded. “This study reaffirmed that isoniazid preventive therapy is one of the best strategies to reduce incidence of TB in children living with HIV. All children living with HIV should be screened for TB, but for children with delayed motor development, advanced WHO clinical stage, anemia, or immune suppression, intensified screening is highly recommended.”

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Alemu YM. High incidence of tuberculosis in the absence of isoniazid and cotrimoxazole preventive therapy in children living with HIV in northern Ethiopia: a retrospective follow-up study. Paper presented at: 3rd Annual Congress on Infectious Diseases; August 21-23, 2017. San Francisco, California. http://infection.conferenceseries.com/abstract/2017/high-incidence-of-tuberculosis-in-the-absence-of-isoniazid-and-cotrimoxazole-preventive-therapy-in-children-living-with-hiv-in-northern-ethiopia-a-retrospective-follow-up-study.