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Author(s): Okeke Obiageli Anthonia, Nwabumere Stephanie Munachimso, Nwadike Comfort Chidiogo, Nnatuanya Ifebunadu Okwudilichukwu, Udeh Peace Nwabundo, Ishar Cornelius Orjighjigh , Uchenna Athanasius Ubaka.

Volume/Issue: Volume 7 , Issue 2 (2024)

Abstract:

This study sheds light on the prevalence of malaria and typhoid in children below the age of five in a hospital in Nigeria. This study aimed to determine the presence of malaria, typhoid and malaria-typhoid co-infection in children less than five years of age. In this community-based descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional hospital-based survey, the blood samples of 125 children between 0 to less than 5 years (68 males and 57 females) were examined for the presence of malaria parasites and typhoid infection. Blood samples were collected using venepuncture. The malaria parasitaemia was detected using malaria microscopy on a thick blood film. Typhoid fever infection was detected using the Widal Agglutination Test. The chi-square test was used to compare the prevalence of malaria, typhoid fever and malaria/typhoid co-infections between male and female infected and uninfected participants and between children below 1 year and those 1 year and above. P-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. A prevalence of 47.2%, 32% and 16% were recorded for malaria, typhoid and malaria/typhoid co-infection respectively. A mean malaria parasite intensity of 56.8475 (±3.30177) was recorded. There was no significant difference between the prevalence of malaria, typhoid and malaria/typhoid co-infection between the genders and age groups. Also, there was no significant difference between the mean PCV of the infected (33.1610 (±0.80748) and uninfected (34.6667 (0.48441) (P> 0.05). These results underscore the importance of continued efforts to combat these diseases and improve the health and well-being of children in the region.

Keywords:

Malaria, Typhoid, Co–infection, Children less than 5 years of age, Hospital, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria.

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