Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of mortality among Advanced HIV Disease (AHD) patients. Most cases of TB in Nigeria are closely linked to HIV infections. In this study, the prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) in AHD patients was investigated in some LGAs of Imo State.  Imo state was divided into three Districts through cluster sampling technique and purposive sampling approach was used to select three LGAs from each District. Three health facilities chosen from each of the Nine LGAs. Patients’ Socio-demographics were collected through questionnaire. The 400 presumptive TB patients were tested for HIV, TB infection and CD4+ counts of the HIV seropositive patients estimated. TB Lateral Flow Lipoarabinomannan (TB LF-LAM) and Genexpert were used to diagnose M. tb in AHD patients’ samples. Among the 400 patients, the prevalence of HIV infection was 41.5%, M. tb was 21.8% and 34.9% had CD4 counts ≤ 200 cells/µl (AHD Patients). The overall Prevalence of M. tb in AHD was 30.7%. Based on age, 31-45 years’ had M. tb in AHD Prevalence of 35.2%. By Gender, Males patients had M. tb in AHD prevalence of 33.9% while Females had 29.1%. Occupationally, Civil servants had the least prevalence of 7.7%, Sexual business group had 31.8%. Based on marital status, the Married had 36.8% prevalence of M. tb in AHD, the Widows had 35.3%, Singles had 30.4% while the Divorced had 25.0% prevalence of M. tb in AHD. At 95% confidence interval, there was no significant difference between the prevalence of M. tb among AHD patients across the three senatorial districts of Imo state. This study has become a leeway in the study area for a healthy state and our Nation at large. Further studies on this topic should focused on other opportunistic infections associated with AHD in the entire state. Protective materials should be provided for the Key populations (KPs) of HIV to stop the spread.