The Epidemiological Status Of Tb/Hiv-Aids Co-Infected Individuals In Malaysia

Gurunathan, A., and Ibrahim P., and Syed Sulaiman S.A., and Iyawoo, K., (2004) The Epidemiological Status Of Tb/Hiv-Aids Co-Infected Individuals In Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2 (2). pp. 38-38. ISSN 16575-7319

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The threat of TB seemed to have become increasingly imminent with the lethal symbiosis of TB and HIV-AIDS. This danger is further compounded with the fact that HIV-AIDS is the foremost cause of death from infectious disease in the world; seconded only by TB. Co..
infection with HIV and TB is a phenomenon that is becoming rampant worldwide and Malaysia is no exception. However, there is no substantial data concerning the co-infection of both the diseases in the country. OBJECTIVE: This study's main aim is to obtain a baseline data pertaining to the epidemiology of TB/HIV-AIDS in Malaysia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Records of 231 patients co-infected with TB/HIV-AIDS between the months of January 1999 and June 1999, and between the months January 2000 and December 2002 were obtained from the Institute of Respiratory Medicine and the Infectious Disease Clinic at Kuala Lumpur Hospital. Data obtained was analyzed with the statistical package SPSS for Windows release 11.5. RESULT: Results attained indicated that the majority of patients were males (222), intravenous drug users (IVDUs) (179), Malays (129) and aged between 31-40 years (114). A total of 63 patients were employed and 54 patients were unemployed. The rest comprised of prison inmates (36), drug rehabilitation centre inmates (6) and those whose occupation status remained undetermined (72). The presence of BCG scar (indicating that the vaccine had been administered) was found in 92 (39.8%) patients. Most of the patients (175) were treated for TB with 2 months of daily doses of ethambutol, isoniazid, rifampicin and pyrazinamide followed by 4 months of biweekly doses of rifampicin and isoniazid (2EHRZ, 4RH2). There were only 14 patients who underwent antiretroviral therapy (ARVT) for HIV infection at the Infectious Disease Clinic, Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicated that the prevalence of TB/HIV co-infection was high among
IVDUs and Malay males who were in the economically productive age group. However, absolute conclusions cannot be drawn without further investigations into the geographical and social parameters that are relevant
and unique to Malaysia.

The Epidemiological Status Of Tb/Hiv-Aids Co-Infected Individuals In Malaysia

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Abstract