A Review on the Co-infection of HIV and Parasitic Diseases

Introduction: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and its associated disease, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), have become a global epidemic today. Approximately, 38 million people worldwide who are living with HIV are exposed to a variety of opportunistic infections. Opportunistic infections, continue to be a major cause of death among HIV-positive people. The high prevalence of specific opportunistic parasites among HIV-positive individuals is well known. These types of parasitic infections occur in HIV-positive individuals with more severe symptoms which are difficult to treatment. Material and Methods: In this study, the databases of PubMed, Scopus, SID, Magiran, Web of Science, IranDoc and Google Scholar were searched and articles related to the title from 2002 to 2021 were reviewed. Results: Toxoplasmic encephalitis is the most common cause of focal brain lesions due to opportunistic infections complicating the course of AIDS. In tropical countries, the pathophysiological, clinical, and epidemiological interactions between HIV and pathogenic organisms such as malaria are a major public health concern. About 11.2% of people living with HIV also have Cryptosporidium. Visceral leishmaniasis can accelerate the progression of the disease in HIV-positive individuals and leads to AIDS. Conclusion: Due to the resistance of Co-infection of HIV and parasitic diseases to treatment, the best solution seems to be HIV prevention, medical and health care for HIV-positive individuals. HIV prevention strategies include screening, use of protective equipment during sexual intercourse, non-use of shared syringes, treatment as prevention, post-exposure prevention and pre-virus prevention.