Co-infection of Malaria and Typhoid Fever in Feverish Patients in the Kumba Health District, Southwest Cameroon: Public Health Implications.
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Date
2015
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Abstract
Aims: This study was aimed at generating updated baseline data on co-infection of malaria and
typhoid fever and finding out the implications of these co-infections in disease severity.
Study Design: The study was cross-sectional. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in Kumba, Southwest Cameroon from
May to July, 2010.
Methodology: Venous blood was collected from 206 febrile patients of both sexes aged 4-80
years old at the Kumba District Hospital. Malaria parasite density and speciation were determined
using Giemsa-stained thick and thin blood films respectively. Typhoid fever was diagnosed by
isolation and characterisation of the aetiologic agent from stool samples in 178/206 patients.
Antimicrobial susceptibility of recovered isolates was determined by the disc diffusion method.
Anaemia status, Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspatate aminotransferase (AST) values
were determined.
Results: Overall malaria prevalence was 90.3% (186/206) while geometric mean parasite density
(GMPD) was 866 (range: 40 – 64880) parasites/μL of blood. Plasmodium falciparum was the most
prevalent Plasmodium species. Overall prevalence of typhoid fever was 7.9% (14/178) while
malaria/typhoid fever co-infection rate was 6.74% (12). Of the 14 typhoidal Salmonella isolates
recovered, 6 were identified as Salmonella typhi and 8 as S. paratyphi. The Salmonella isolates
were all susceptible to ciprofloxacin and gentamycin. Patients co-infected with malaria/typhoid
fever had a significantly higher (P = .007) GMPD (1203, range: 100-64880 parasites/μL) when
compared to patients with mono-infections of malaria (774, range: 40-18660 parasites/μL).
Abnormal ALT and anorexia prevalence values were significantly higher (P=.01 and P =.045
respectively) in patients with only typhoid fever than their counterparts. The values of anaemia and
AST were comparable in all groups of patients.
Conclusion: This study confirms that co-infections of malaria and typhoid fever are common and
may exacerbate malaria intensity.
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Keywords
Malaria, typhoid fever, co-infection, diagnosis, prevalence, severity, Cameroon
Citation
Ndip Lucy M, Egbe Franklyn N, Kimbi Helen K, Njom Henry A, Ndip Roland N. Co-infection of Malaria and Typhoid Fever in Feverish Patients in the Kumba Health District, Southwest Cameroon: Public Health Implications. International Journal of TROPICAL DISEASE & Health. 2015; 9(4): 1-11.