Numerous studies have addressed the potential infectiousness of HIV infected tuberculosis patients.  This study from Zambia exemplifies the findings in the majority of these.

As a group, HIV infected patients tend to have less frequently cavitary disease than patients without HIV infection.  It is thus not surprising that they are somewhat more frequently negative on direct microscopic examination for acid-fast bacilli and have more frequently paucibacillary findings.

It should be noted, however, that the majority of HIV infected patients had sputum smear-positive tuberculosis in this study.

To top