Study: High Burden of T gondii Infection in Individuals with HIV

A recent meta-analysis estimated that 13,138,600 individuals with HIV were also infected with Toxoplasma gondii. 

In their meta-analysis, researchers identified 74 studies that reported on individuals that were co-infected with T gondii and HIV. A random-effects model was used to examine pooled prevalence of T gondii infection in HIV-infected individuals and evaluate the overall infection burden worldwide. The meta-analysis included 25,989 HIV-infected people from 34 countries.
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Of the 25,989, a total of 7326 individuals had a co-infection of HIV and T gondii, and the researchers estimated that the pooled worldwide prevalence of T gondii infection was 35.8%.

T gondii prevalence in HIV-infected individuals was 25.1% (2353 out of 8837 people) in Asia and the Pacific. The prevalence was 44.9% in sub-Saharan Africa, 49.1% in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 60.7% in North Africa and the Middle East.  

Co-infection prevalence in low-income countries was 54.7% (1561 out of 3780 people), middle-income countries co-infection prevalence was 34.2%, and high income countries co-infection prevalence was 26.3%.

About 13,138,600 were predicted to be co-infected with HIV and T gondii, and 11,449,500 individuals (87.1%) were estimated to be located in sub-Saharan Africa.

“Our findings suggest that people with HIV infection have a very high burden of T gondii infection, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, and emphasize the importance of routine surveillance for T gondii infection in all HIV-infected people,” the researchers concluded. 

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Wang ZD, Wang SC, Liu HH, et al. Prevalence and burden of Toxoplasma gondii infection in HIV-infected people: a systematic review and meta-analysis [published online January 31, 2017]. Lancet. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3018(17)30005-X.