SUMMARY
Background. Disseminated histoplasmosis is common in AIDS patients with advanced immunosuppression in Ceará, Northeastern Brazil. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of Histoplasma infection in patients with HIV/AIDS living in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará.
Methods. Intradermal tests with histoplasmin (mycelial phase) were performed in 161 HIV patients with CD4 ≥ 350 cells/mm33. Coêlho ICB, Gadelha JB, Câmara LMC. Estudo sobre a paracoccidioidomicose no Estado do Ceará: análise preliminar da paracoccidioidomicose-infecção, utilizando reações intradérmicas com paracoccidioidina e histoplasmina. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 1986;19(Suppl):97-8.. Evidence of recent illness was evaluated with immunodiffusion (ID) tests in 76 of these individuals.
Results. A total of 11.8% of patients reacted to histoplasmin and 2.63% had ID test positive to Histoplasma. The presence of mango trees (Mangifera indica) in the patient neighborhood (OR = 2.870; 95% CI = 1.081-7.617; p = 0.040) and past activity involving soil (OR = 2.834; 95% CI = 1.045-7.687; p = 0.045) or visits to a farm (OR = 3.869; 95% CI = 1.189-12.591; p = 0.033) were significantly associated with Histoplasma infection.
Conclusions. Patients with HIV living in Fortaleza have an expressive prevalence of infection with Histoplasma.
Histoplasmosis; Histoplasmin; Epidemiology; AIDS; HIV