Schistosomiasis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Men in Tanzania

Jennifer A. Downs Department of Medicine, Center for Global Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York.
Department of Medicine, Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania.

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Claudia J. de Dood Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.

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Hannah E. Dee Department of Medicine, Center for Global Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York.

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Megan McGeehan Department of Medicine, Center for Global Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York.

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Hijab Khan Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

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Abena Marenga Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

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Patrick E. Adel Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania.

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Edward Faustine Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania.

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Benson Issarow Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania.

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Emmanuel F. Kisanga Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania.

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Godfrey Alfred Kisigo Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania.

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Salvius Ngahyolerwa Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania.

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Frank Zahoro Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania.

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Donald Miyaye National Institute for Medical Research-Mwanza Research Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania.

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Ruth Gideon Magawa National Institute for Medical Research-Mwanza Research Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania.

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Julius Mngara National Institute for Medical Research-Mwanza Research Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania.

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Myung Hee Lee Department of Medicine, Center for Global Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York.

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Paul L. A. M. Corstjens Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.

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Govert J. van Dam Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.

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Daniel W. Fitzgerald Department of Medicine, Center for Global Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York.

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Schistosomiasis is a parasitic worm infection that affects over 260 million individuals worldwide. Women with schistosome infections have been demonstrated to have a 4-fold increase in the odds of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection compared with women without schistosome infections. A relationship between schistosome and HIV infections has not been clearly defined in men. Among 674 men aged 18–50 years living in rural Tanzania, we identified 429 (63.6%) who had a schistosome infection as defined by serum positivity for schistosome circulating anodic antigen, visualization of parasite eggs in urine or stool, or both. HIV infection was identified in 38 (5.6%). The odds of HIV infection was 1.3 [95% confidence interval = 0.6–2.5] (P = 0.53) among men with any schistosome infection (Schistosoma haematobium or Schistosoma mansoni), and it was 1.4 [0.6–3.3] (P = 0.43) among men with S. haematobium infection. Men with S. haematobium infection were significantly more likely to report the symptom of hemospermia than men without S. haematobium infection. We conclude that schistosome infections appear to have little to no association with HIV infection in men.

Author Notes

* Address correspondence to Jennifer A. Downs, Department of Medicine, Center for Global Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, 402 E 67th Street, Second Floor, New York, NY 10065. E-mail: jna2002@med.cornell.edu

Financial support: This study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (K23 AI 110238 to JAD; K24 AI 098627 to DWF).

Authors' addresses: Jennifer A. Downs, Hannah E. Dee, Megan McGeehan, Myung Hee Lee, and Daniel W. Fitzgerald, Department of Medicine, Center for Global Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, E-mail: jna2002@med.cornell.edu, hed2011@med.cornell.edu, mam2167@med.cornell.edu, myl2003@med.cornell.edu, and dfitzgerald@gheskio.org. Claudia J. de Dood and Paul L. A. M. Corstjens, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands, E-mails: c.j.de_Dood@lumc.nl and p.corstjens@lumc.nl. Hijab Khan and Abena Marenga, Human Ecology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, E-mails: hak58@cornell.edu and mam674@cornell.edu. Patrick E. Adel, Edward Faustine, Benson Issarow, Emmanuel F. Kisanga, Godfrey Alfred Kisigo, Salvius Ngahyolerwa, and Frank Zahoro, Department of Medicine, Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania, E-mails: adel87.pa@gmail.com, eddo1566@gmail.com, issarowjr@gmail.com, kisanga.emmanuel@gmail.com, godkisigo@gmail.com, salvius19@gmail.com, and fredfrank743@gmail.com. Donald Miyaye, Ruth Gideon Magawa, and Julius Mngara, National Institute for Medical Research-Mwanza Research Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania, E-mails: miyaye64@yahoo.com, ruthmagawa@gmail.com, and juliusmngara@yahoo.com. Govert J. van Dam, Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands, E-mail: g.j.van_Dam@lumc.nl.

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