Malaria Coinfections in Febrile Pediatric Inpatients: A Hospital-Based Study From Ghana

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dc.contributor.authorHogan Benedikt
dc.contributor.authorEibach Daniel
dc.contributor.authorOwusu-Dabo Ellis
dc.contributor.authorKrumkamp Ralf
dc.contributor.authorSarpong Nimako....et al
dc.date.accessioned2023-12-06T11:55:34Z
dc.date.available2023-12-06T11:55:34Z
dc.date.issued2018
dc.descriptionThis article is published by Clinical Infectious Diseases and is also available at https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/cix1120
dc.description.abstractBackground. The epidemiology of pediatric febrile illness is shifting in sub-Saharan Africa, but malaria remains a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. The present study describes causes of febrile illness in hospitalized children in Ghana and aims to determine the burden of malaria coinfections and their association with parasite densities. Methods. In a prospective study, children (aged ≥30 days and ≤15 years) with fever ≥38.0°C were recruited after admission to the pediatric ward of a primary hospital in Ghana. Malaria parasitemia was determined and blood, stool, urine, respiratory, and cerebrospinal fluid specimens were screened for parasitic, bacterial, and viral pathogens. Associations of Plasmodium densities with other pathogens were calculated. Results. From November 2013 to April 2015, 1238 children were enrolled from 4169 admissions. A clinical/microbiological diagnosis could be made in 1109/1238 (90%) patients, with Plasmodium parasitemia (n = 728/1238 [59%]) being predominant. This was followed by lower respiratory tract infections/pneumonia (n = 411/1238 [34%]; among detected pathogens most frequently Streptococcus pneumoniae, n = 192/299 [64%]), urinary tract infections (n = 218/1238 [18%]; Escherichia coli, n = 21/32 [66%]), gastrointestinal infections (n = 210 [17%]; rotavirus, n = 32/97 [33%]), and invasive bloodstream infections (n = 62 [5%]; Salmonella species, n = 47 [76%]). In Plasmodium-infected children the frequency of lower respiratory tract, gastrointestinal, and bloodstream infections increased with decreasing parasite densities. Conclusions. In a hospital setting, the likelihood of comorbidity with a nonmalarial disease is inversely correlated with increas ing blood levels of malaria parasites. Hence, parasite densities provide important information as an indicator for the probability of coinfection, in particular to guide antimicrobial medication
dc.description.sponsorshipKNUST
dc.identifier.uri10.1093/cid/cix1120
dc.identifier.urihttps://ir.knust.edu.gh/handle/123456789/14655
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherClinical Infectious Diseases
dc.titleMalaria Coinfections in Febrile Pediatric Inpatients: A Hospital-Based Study From Ghana
dc.typeArticle
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