ASSESSMENT OF EFFICACY OF NITAZOXANIDE VERSUS GARLIC IN TREATMENT OF CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS AMONG HIV INFECTED PATIENTS IN FEVER HOSPITAL, ALEXANDRIA

Cryptosporidium is one of major causes of diarrhea in Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)positive patients. Due to increasing problems of inadequate and unreliable medical treatmentsfor Cryptosporidium enteritis among HIV patients, alternative therapies were being studied. garlichas widely been used to treat intestinal parasites. The treatment with garlic evoked a significantreduction in the worm load. The present study aimed to evaluate the performance of traditionalmedical plant (garlic) as compared to Nitazoxanide in the treatment of cryptosporidiosisamong HIV infected patients.Subjects and methods: Stool samples were collected from (150 HIV) positive patients and examinedmicroscopically using Formalin ethyl acetate and Modified Ziehl Neelsen (MZN) stain.Also, Cryptosporidium coproantigen was detected using Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) technique. All positive cases were divided into 2 groups, the first group was treatedwith NTZ 500 mg, twice daily for 6 days and the second group was treated by garlic 300 mgtwice daily for the same period. Stool samples were collected one week after treatment and wereexamined using MZN and ELISA technique.The results showed that Cryptosporidium infection was 15.3% by using MZN &10.7% by usingELISA (total positive cases were 26), without significant difference between cryptosporidiosisand demographic factors (age, sex, residence). By comparing treatment of Cryptosporidiuminfection, the cure rate was 100% by garlic compared to 58.3% by NTZ. All cases cured by garlicwhether CD4 T cell count was above or below 350 , but one case with CD4 T cellswas not cured by NTZ.