Prevalence of HIV Among Drug Resistance Tuberculosis Cases at the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Centre Zaria

While multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) remains a threat to the global fight for the elimination of Tuberculosis (TB), HIV coinfection with MDR-TB makes TB management even worse. Previous studies have reported poorer outcomes and staggering high mortality rates among persons coinfected with HIV and MDR-TB. This coinfection is said to be the leading cause of many MDR-TB-related outbreaks. However, there has been a great decline in the mortality rates reported due to the treatment of HIV with antiretroviral drugs and anti-TB drugs for MDR-TB. Coinfection of HIV and MDR-TB has high prevalence rates in certain regions of the world, including Nigeria. This study assessed the prevalence of HIV among drug-resistant TB patients attending the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Centre (NTBLTC), Saye, to contribute to knowledge and data repository which is limited in this area. This cross-sectional study involved 135 GeneXpert MTB/RIF-screened patients. Blood samples for HIV testing were collected from patients who consented while sputum samples collected were analysed by GeneXpert MTB/RIF and Molecular Line Probe Assay. The results of this study showed an overall HIV prevalence rate of 35.6% (p<0.05) among GeneXPert MTB/RIF-positive confirmed TB subjects.HIV incidence rates among different drug-resistant groups were as follows; mono-resistant TB 19(14.1%), MDR-TB 16(11.9%) and Poly-resistance was determined to be 2 (1.5%) respectively.