HIV Seroprevalence among Tuberculosis Patients in India, 2006–2007

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HIV Seroprevalence among Tuberculosis Patients in India, 2006–2007

Neeraj Raizada1, Lakbir Singh Chauhan2, Ajay Khera3, Jotna Sokhey3,

D. Fraser Wares1, Suvanand Sahu1, Rahul Thakur1, Puneet Kumar Dewan4*

Abstract

Background

Little information exists regarding the burden of HIV among

tuberculosis patients in India, and no population-based surveys have

been previously reported. A community-based HIV prevalence survey was

conducted among tuberculosis patients treated by the national

tuberculosis control programme to evaluate the HIV prevalence among

tuberculosis patients in India.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Fifteen districts (total population: 40.2 million) across 8 states

were stratified by HIV prevalence in antenatal clinic HIV

surveillance sites and randomly selected. From December 2006 to May

2007, remnant serum was collected from patients' clinical specimens

taken after 2 months of anti-tuberculosis treatment and subjected to

anonymous, unlinked HIV testing. Specimens were obtained and

successfully tested for 5,995 (73%) of 8,217 tuberculosis patients

eligible for the survey. HIV prevalence ranged widely among the 15

surveyed districts, from 1% in Koch Bihar, West Bengal, to 13.8% in

Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. HIV infection was 1.3 times more likely among

male TB patients than among female patients. Relative to smear-

positive tuberculosis, HIV infection was 1.4 times more likely among

smear-negative patients and 1.3 times more likely among

extrapulmonary patients. In 4 higher-HIV prevalence districts, which

had been previously surveyed in 2005–2006, no significant change in

HIV prevalence was detected.

Conclusions

The burden of HIV among tuberculosis patients varies widely in India.

Programme efforts to implement comprehensive TB-HIV services should

be targeted to areas with the highest HIV burden. Surveillance

through routine reporting or special surveys is necessary to detect

areas requiring intensification of TB-HIV collaborative activities.

Citation: Raizada N, Chauhan LS, Khera A, Sokhey J, Wares DF, et al.

(2008) HIV Seroprevalence among Tuberculosis Patients in India, 2006–

2007. PLoS ONE 3(8): e2970. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002970

Editor: Srikanth Tripathy, National AIDS Research Institute, India

E-mail: dewanp@...

A copy of the complete article is available on the following url

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0002970