Co-infections; Their Role in HIV Acquisition and Disease Progression

Abstract

HIV/AIDS disease manifestations play critical roles on the host's immune response to infections especially cell-mediated immunity which is central in combating many other infections, allowing opportunistic pathogens that otherwise rarely infect humans, to cause disease. There is paucity of information to satisfactorily explain the geographical pathophysiological overlaps of malnutrition, bacterial, parasitic, and viral infections widespread in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where HIV burden is much higher than elsewhere. HIV and/or co-infections may worsen HIV related symptoms and outcomes, alter the presentation or/and increase viral virulence consequently, assisting the infectivity. Hence, co-infections are potential cofactors of HIV transmission in SSA. Most of currently published work often underplays co-infections resulting in misleading statistics and conclusions. A lot of studies have been done assessing single infections in isolation or independently yet in real life practical situation such solitary infections are rare. The prevalence of co-infections, how these in isolation or combination modify or modulate HIV transmission remains poorly described.