Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection prevalence rate is estimated at 1.4% in Senegal, and about 3,000 children could be infected. HIV positive children are followed up since 2000 in Albert Royer Hospital (Dakar, Senegal).
Objectives: To describe clinical and epidemiological aspects of HIV paediatric infection, and to evaluate the implementation of high active antiretroviral therapy in HIV positive children in our country.
Population and methods: Over a period of three years, the medical reports of 98 infected patients have been collected, 96% with HIV 1 infection.
Results: Most of the patients had a maternally transmitted HIV infection (99%). At their enrollment, the median age was 60 months; malnutrition (79%), persistent lymphadenopathy (65%) and skin lesions (64%) were the common clinical manifestations. Thirty-nine percent of the patients were in class C (CDC) and 81% had CD4 cell count< or =25%. Median viral load were 421,852 copies/ml at presentation. Seven infants had a rapid progressive disease with encephalopathy. Thirty-six patients received high active antiretroviral therapy with high observance and good tolerance.
Conclusion: This study allowed to define clinical and biological profile of paediatric HIV infection in our country and to update the implementation of high active antiretroviral therapy.