IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences (IOSR-JDMS) e-ISSN: 2279-0853, p-ISSN: 2279-0861.Volume 15, Issue 4 Ver. XI (Apr. 2016), PP 99-105 www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/0853-15041199105 www.iosrjournals.org 99 | Page Prevalence of Tuberculosis among HIV co-infected Patients attending BHUTH, Plateau State, Nigeria Bassi AP 1 , Thildza SMA 1 , Lawson L 1 , Ogundeko TO 2 , Ramyil MS 3 , Ike RO 3 , Chima AAG 4 , Okeke FC 5 , Abunike SA 5 , Anom-Ogisa IT 5 , Achukoh CP 5 , Oghenejivwe DE 5 1 Department of Community Medicine, College Medicine and Health Sciences, Bingham University, Jos, Nigeria 2 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College Medicine and Health Sciences, Bingham University, Jos, Nigeria 3 Department of Medical Microbiology, College Medicine and Health Sciences, Bingham University, Jos,Nigeria 4 Department of Family Medicine Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria 5 Department of Medicine and Surgery, College Medicine and Health Sciences, Bingham University, Jos,Nigeria Abstract Background: The incidence of tuberculosis (TB) has increased greatly since the advent of HIV/AIDS because they tend to coexist. Prompt identification of risk factors is quite imperative to prevent the disease as early diagnosis and treatment are required to reducing mortality, thus determination of the prevalence of TB and HIV co-infection in BHUTH is a necessary objective. Methods: A total of 203 randomly selected male and female (non-pregnant) patients of age 17 years and above that has never been treated for TB in the past regardless of the patient’s HIV status, from August to October 2015 attending the TB Clinic of BHUTH in Jos, Nigeria. Subjects were administered with structured questionnaire and clinically examined in order to assess their risks of having TB and living with HIV/AIDS in order to authenticate study objectives. Two sputum samples were collected on the spot and after a day interval, stained using Ziehl-Neelsen’s method and examined in accordance with standard procedures while blood specimens were collected for HIV screening using WHO serial test algorithm 2010. Results: Fifty five percent (54.2%) of the patients had received BCG at birth by evidence of scar. 7.9% patients tested positive for sputum (AFB) on the spot while 8.4% tested positive for sputum one day after. However, 29.1% of the patients tested positive for HIV. Most of the cases were seen in the age ranges between 17-29 years with 47.1%, 30-49 years with 41.2%, and 50-69years with 11.8% respectively. All patients with positive sputum (AFB) reported bouts of cough while 29.4% of patients with positive sputum had blood in their coughed out sputum. Conclusion: Tuberculosis is a major public health issue which kills about 3 million people each year. Its existence with HIV as co-infection (23.5%) and high occurrences of common symptoms / features of TB cases (cough, fever, night sweat, weight loss and chest pain) are evident in BHUTH, thus signifies high risk of endemicity; and the continued spread of the disease require direct health promotion messages to stimulate a sustained health seeking behavioural change in the region. Keywords: Sputum AFB, Tuberculosis, HIV co-infection, Health promotion, BHUTH, Nigeria. I. Introduction Tuberculosis also known as (TB) is one of the most common causes of death in adults in the world. The world Health Organization (WHO) in 2014 estimates that more than 9.6 million people were infected with the tubercle bacilli and about 1.5 million people died from the disease. About one-third of the world’s population has latent TB, that is, a large number of people are infected with TB and a fewer number transmit the disease. The symptoms of TB (cough, fever, night sweats, weight loss etc) may be mild for many months, invariably leading to delays in seeking care and could result in transmission of the disease to others. Over 95% of TB deaths occur in low and middle income countries and TB is among the top five causes for women aged 15 to 44 years. An estimated 43 million lives were saved through TB diagnosis and treatment between 2000 and 2014 [1]. In Jos, North Central Nigeria, an audit showed that 45% of HIV infected patients patient admitted on the medical ward of a referral hospital had pulmonary tuberculosis [2]. TB issues such as symptoms and diagnosis[3], [4], treatment[5],[6],[7] and effect on the immune system [8], [9], prevention [10], risk associated with treatment [11] have posed lots of questions to the world for many years up to this moment as a result of ignorance. Apart from HIV being the single most important factor for the resurgence of TB globally, it also contributed to the failure to achieve set TB control targets especially in areas with high prevalence [12]. Pregnant women living with HIV are at risk for tuberculosis which can adversely influence maternal and