Open Access Library Journal
How to cite this paper: Kamangu, E.N., et al. (2015) Prevalence of Malaria Infection among People Living with HIV in Kin-
shasa. Open Access Library Journal, 2: e1077. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1101077
Prevalence of Malaria Infection among
People Living with HIV in Kinshasa
Erick Ntambwe Kamangu
1,2*
, Hypolite Mavoko Muhindo
3,4
, Carole Weba Wapa-Kamangu
2
,
Hippolyte Nani-Tuma Situakibanza
3,5
1
Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa,
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
2
Research Group “Focus HIV/AIDS”, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
3
Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic
of Congo
4
International Health Unit, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
5
Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Email:
*
Erick.kamangu@unikin.ac.cd
Received 22 January 2015; accepted 6 February 2015; published 12 February 2015
Copyright © 2015 by authors and OALib.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY).
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Abstract
Background: Infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and malaria are two infec-
tious diseases which are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Sub-Saharan
Africa and each a major public health problem. Data on malaria infection among people living with
HIV (PLHIV) are poorly defined in Kinshasa as there are very few studies available on the subject.
Objective: To determine the rate of co-infection HIV/malaria in Kinshasa to improve the care of
PLHIV, this study was initiated to update the data. Methodology: This study was a prospective co-
hort. 123 volunteers participated in this study in the third month. 114 patients completed the 6-
month visit. Malaria diagnosis by microscopy was performed at the two medical visits. A sample of
5 ml of blood was also drawn in a tube with EDTA for the determination of viral load and measur-
ing the level of CD4 T cells. Results: In the third month of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), we had
123 PLHIV (78 women and 45 men). Viral loads (VL) ranged from 390.79 copies/ml (2.59 log10) and
38546691.53 copies/ml (6.59 log10). The CD4 ranged between 90 and 547 cells/mm
3
. 25 patients
(20.33%) were positive for malaria. At 6th month of ART, there were 114 patients (75 women and
39 men). The CV of the population ranged from 0 copies/ml and 2693671.54 copies/ml (6.43
log10). The CD4 at 6th month were in the range between 421 and 984 cells/mm
3
. 20 patients
(17.54%) presented positive thick smear for malaria. Conclusion: The prevalence rate of HIV/
malaria co-infection varies between 17.54% and 20.33% in Kinshasa.
Keywords
HIV, Malaria, Co-Infection, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
*
Corresponding author.