Clinical features of HIV seropositive Zambian subjects.

During December 1985 to November 1986 in Zambia clinicians provided information on 1595 HIV-positive patients to assess the age and sex distribution and clinical features of HIV-positive patients. 92.2% of the HIV-positive patients were from the Copper Province especially the towns of Ndola (44.9%) and Kitwe (28.9%). 101 HIV-positive patients were under 2 years old 69 were aged 2-14 years and 1418 were 15 years old or older. The most common clinical features of HIV infection in all age groups were weight loss/malnutrition (about 50%) and generalized lymphadenopathy (35.1%). They were malnutrition (56.5%) chronic chest infection (48.2%) chronic diarrhea (43.5%) and generalized lymphadenopathy (43.5%) for children aged under 2; generalized lymphadenopathy (60.3%) chronic chest infection (58.6%) weight loss/malnutrition (55.2%) and chronic diarrhea (17.2%) for children aged 2-14; and weight loss (49.3%) generalized lymphadenopathy (33.4%) chronic chest infection (32.3%) chronic diarrhea (29.6%) herpes zoster (14.7%) and sexually transmitted diseases (10.6%) for people aged 15 and older. Generalized lymphadenopathy was significantly more common in the 2-14 year old group than the older age group (60.3% vs. 33.4%; p < 0.05). People aged 15 and over were significantly less likely to have chronic chest infection than the other age groups (32.3% vs. 48.2-58.6%; p < 0.05). The male/female ratio was 1:0.93 in the 15 and older age group. Solid education of school-aged children before they become sexually active provides the best hope for controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Zambia.