Diagnosing Neglected Tropical Diseases in HIV Coinfection

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection are overlapping conditions around the world, mainly in tropical regions, affecting people living in absolute poverty (about US$1.00 a day). Malaria, Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis are the main NTDs affected by HIV infection, in terms of clinical manifestation, diagnostics, and outcome after treatment. Unusual manifestation and reactivation of NTDs are more common in coinfected patients. Traditional serological methods used in the diagnostics of NTDs show low sensitivity, and parasitological methods possess higher sensitivity. In this article, we discuss about the clinical presentation and laboratory diagnostics in the context of NTD and HIV coinfection.