SERO-PREVALENCE OF Treponema pallidum IN HIV SERO-POSITIVE PATIENTS ATTENDING FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTRE GUSAU, ZAMFARA STATE, NIGERIA

Syphilis, one of the oldest diseases caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum, has been a major public health problem worldwide. An estimated 12 million people globally have been infected; of which, almost two-thirds are in sub-Saharan Africa and south/southeast Asia [1]. Transmission of syphilis is mainly through unprotected sex and vertical transmission from infected mother to the child (Andrade et al.,2017). Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is a global public health concern due to associated morbidity and mortality as a result of immunosuppression. HIV is complex and remains the subject of ongoing research. HIV infection can lead to adverse outcomes and this can be averted if detected and treated. However data on this subject matter are uncommon in Gusau, Zamfara state, Nigeria. This study was designed to determine the Sero-prevalence of Treponema pallidum among PLHIV attending Federal Medical Center, Gusau. A total of 301sample were collected for Serological investigations and sero-positive patients were enrolled for the study. The samples were tested using antibodies detection kit (Unigold). Questionnaires were used to obtain information on subjects’ bio-data. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (Version 26.0 IBM corp, USA) to determine the relationship between socio-demographic factors, The overall Seropositive infection tested was 2.7 % (8/301) were Sero-positive and 97.3 % (293/301) were Sero-negative. The highest Sero-prevalence of 2.8% (6/208) was recorded among female followed by 2.2% (5/221) and 2.2 % (5/218) males and married with those that are engage in sexual behavior and lack of education background respectively. syphilis infection was associated with significant increase, the findings underscore the importance of preventing and promoting treating of HIV infected individuals and not significant in the HIV-uninfected group. Serological test leads to false positives result and its result should be treated with caution. Sero-positive result of VDRL should be confirmed by the use of PCR, especially in patients to reduce unnecessary administering drugs to individuals that does not require therapy.