Microscopic and Molecular Identification of and in HIV-Infected People in Tabriz, Northwest of Iran.

Opportunistic pathogens such as , , and cause various gastrointestinal and non-digestive disorders in people with HIV/AIDS. These symptoms are especially severe in HIV-infected people who have a CD4+ count of less than 200 cells/mL. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of and infections among people living with HIV in Tabriz, northwest of Iran. This descriptive study was performed on 137 people with HIV who had been referred to behavioral disease counseling centers in Tabriz. Then, after receiving written consent, fecal samples were collected and evaluated for the detection of parasitic infections using direct methods and modified acid fast staining, as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR).From the 137 fecal samples collected (98 males and 39 females, between 20 and 40 years old), 1.5% were positive for and 2.9% were positive for . Due to the prevalence of and in people with HIV in Tabriz, essential measures, including personal hygiene training for infection control and prevention, seem necessary.