Malaria and Typhoid Fever Coinfection among Febrile Patients in Ngaoundéré (Adamawa, Cameroon): A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background. Malaria and typhoid fever remain the major cause of morbidity and mortality in tropical and subtropical countries. It is common today to see patients being concurrently infected or treated for the two diseases. Objective. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of malaria, typhoid fever, and their coinfection among febrile patients at Ngaoundéré Regional Hospital, Adamawa, Cameroon. Methodology. A cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted on 208 febrile patients coming for medical consultation at Ngaoundéré Regional Hospital and suspected for malaria and/or typhoid fever from September to November 2019. After receiving the consent of each patient, clinical and sociodemographic information were collected using a pretested semistructured questionnaire. Thereafter, blood samples were collected and subjected to (i) blood film examination for malaria detection and (ii) qualitative and semiquantitative Widal assay for typhoid fever detection. Results. Plasmodium falciparum was the only species identified, and the prevalence of malaria was 50.0% ( n = 104 ). The seroprevalence of typhoid fever was 64.3% ( n = 133 ). The malaria and typhoid fever coinfection was 30.3% ( n = 63 ). The coinfection between S. paratyphi (A, B, and C) and malaria was also observed with the prevalence ranging from 32.2 to 63.9%. Female group and children from 2 to 10 years old were the most affected groups by the two infectious agents. Conclusion. Typhoid fever and malaria were more prevalent in Ngaoundéré City, particularly in children and women. Further studies should be done on the risk factors of malaria and typhoid fever coinfection in different study areas.

Malaria and Typhoid Co-Infection among Children under 5 Years of Age at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria

“…Odikamnoro et al (2018) also recorded a slightly higher malaria/typhoid co-infection rate in females than in males. In Ngaoundéré (Adamawa, Cameroon), Sohanang et al (2023) reported that the female group and children from 2 to 10 years old were the most affected groups by the two infectious agents.…”

Typhoid Fever, Malaria and their Co-infection: A Review

“…Malaria symptoms include headaches, vomiting, fever, and lethargy. In severe situations, seizures, yellow skin, coma, or even death are possible results (Källander et al, 2004;Sohanang Nodem et al, 2023) In tropical developing nations, typhoid fever is a severe public health concern, particularly in areas with limited access to clean water and other sanitation measures (Nas et al, 2018). Low-and middle-income nations have a high Salmonella infection rate (>100 per 100,000 infected individuals annually) (Wilairatana et al, 2021).…”

“…Salmonella Typhi-a Gram-Negative, oxidase-negative bacteria, through contaminated foods and water, causes typhoid fever known as acute systemic infection. Mohammad et al state that there are approximately 33 million cases of typhoid fever globally, with endemic areas accounting for 216,000 fatalities (Mohammed et al, 2020;Sohanang Nodem et al, 2023). Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella enterica serotype typhi (S. typhi) and Salmonella enterica serotype paratyphi (S. paratyphi A, S. paratyphi B, and S. paratyphi C), with S. typhi been the most prevalent strain in causing typhoid fever (Crump, 2019).…”