Increasing prevalence of malaria and acute dengue virus coinfection in Africa: a meta-analysis and meta-regression of cross-sectional studies

Abstract

Background Malaria and dengue fever are the leading causes of acute, undifferentiated febrile illness. In Africa, misdiagnosis of dengue fever as malaria is a common scenario. Through a systematic review of the published literature, this study seeks to estimate the prevalence of dengue and malaria coinfection among acute undifferentiated febrile diseases in Africa. Methods Relevant publications were systematically searched in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar until May 19, 2023. A random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression were used to summarize and examine the prevalence estimates. Results Twenty-two studies with 22,803 acute undifferentiated febrile patients from 10 countries in Africa were included. The meta-analysis findings revealed a pooled prevalence of malaria and dengue coinfection of 4.2%, with Central Africa having the highest rate (4.7%), followed by East Africa (2.7%) and West Africa (1.6%). Continent-wide, Plasmodium falciparum and acute dengue virus coinfection prevalence increased significantly from 0.9% during 2008–2013 to 3.8% during 2014–2017 and to 5.5% during 2018–2021 (p = 0.0414). Conclusion There was a high and increasing prevalence of malaria and acute dengue virus coinfection in Africa. Healthcare workers should bear in mind the possibility of dengue infection as a differential diagnosis for acute febrile illness, as well as the possibility of coexisting malaria and dengue in endemic areas. In addition, high-quality multicentre studies are required to verify the above conclusions. Protocol registration number: CRD42022311301.

Molecular surveillance for dengue serotypes among the population living in Moyen-Ogooué province, Gabon; evidence of the presence of dengue serotype 1

“…However, our finding opposes the result of Nkenfou et al who found a malaria-dengue virus co-infection rate of 19.5% in Cameroon [ 44 ]. As indicated by Gebremariam et al on malaria and acute dengue virus coinfection in Africa [ 45 ], where dengue infection overlaps with malaria, the risk of co-infections is more important. From our side, we hypothesize that the very low prevalence of dengue infection observed explain the absence of co-infection with malaria.…”

Mosquito Salivary Antigens and Their Relationship to Dengue and P. vivax Malaria

“…Malaria and dengue fever are vector-borne diseases of significant public health concern in tropical and subtropical areas around the globe [1]. Dengue virus (DENV) is endemic in Central and South America, with occasional outbreaks in the US, particularly in Texas and Florida [2,3].…”