HIV and Visceral Leishmaniasis Coinfection in Bihar, India: An Underrecognized and Underdiagnosed Threat Against Elimination

15 Aug 2014
Sakib Burza, Raman Mahajan, Marta Gonzalez Sanz, Temmy Sunyoto, Ranjeet Kumar, Gaurab Mitra, María Angeles Lima

Although human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and visceral leishmaniasis coinfection is recognized as a major public health challenge in Africa, data regarding the prevalence in India are very limited. Consecutive HIV screening of 2077 patients aged ≥14 years with confirmed visceral leishmaniasis in Bihar, eastern India, found that 5.6% were HIV positive, including 2.4% with newly diagnosed HIV infection.