World AIDS Day 2017: Why HIV patients are at risk of TB co-infection

Did you know an HIV-positive person is 26 - 31 times more likely to suffer from TB than an HIV-negative person?

December 1 is World AIDS Day. The theme for 2017 is "Right to health" under the slogan "Everybody counts".

There is a lot of awareness about HIV/AIDS and its treatment in India. However, not many people know that suffering from HIV infection can put you at risk of various infections. And of the common co-infection that is seen in most people with HIV infection is tuberculosis (TB). According to statistics, people living with HIV have a high risk of developing active TB (around 26 - 31 times higher) than those who are HIV-negative. If you are wondering why HIV positive patients are at high risk of TB co-infection, we have Dr V Sam Prasad, Country Programme Director, AIDS Healthcare Foundation explaining about the same. Read about the difference between HIV and AIDS.

HIV and TB co-infection

It is true that the vulnerability of HIV infected people to tuberculosis or TB is very high (and not the other way around). This is because, if you have HIV infection, the virus breaks down the immunity system, attacks the immune cells causing the CD4 levels ( the type of WBC that fight infection) goes down. These cells act as HIV markers as based on the count of CD4 in the body, you can know the severity of the infection in HIV patient. Although the normal level of CD4 cells depends on the age, region, genetics and other factors, levels of 1200 - 1400 cells/mm3. Also read about the common diseases that affect people with HIV/AIDS.

HIV virus kills the immune cells and when your immunity is low, it increases the risk of infection. The TB bacterium stays dormant and when the immunity levels fall down and the environmental factors put you at risk, it causes the bacterium to be active, increasing the risk of tuberculosis. Also, when an HIV positive persons with low immunity comes in contact with the bacteria or infection, the person becomes more susceptible to get the infection quickly.

TB is one of the commonest co-infection in HIV patients. In fact, it is a deadly disease as HIV-infected people die of tuberculosis than of AIDS because AIDS is a slow progressing one whereas tuberculosis damages the lungs and the respiratory system leading to death. The best way to prevent it is to get tested for tuberculosis if you have any symptoms of TB or after getting detected with HIV. Also read about HIV/HCV co-infection.

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