Malaria and COVID-19 prevalence in a population of febrile children and adolescents living in Libreville.

Autor:	Moutombi Ditombi BC; Department of Parasitology-Mycology and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Libreville, Gabon.; Operational Research Clinical Unit, Hôpital Régional Estuaire Melen, Libreville, Gabon., Pongui Ngondza B; Department of Parasitology-Mycology and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Libreville, Gabon.; Operational Research Clinical Unit, Hôpital Régional Estuaire Melen, Libreville, Gabon., Manomba Boulingui C; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Libreville, Gabon., Mbang Nguema OA; Department of Parasitology-Mycology and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Libreville, Gabon.; Operational Research Clinical Unit, Hôpital Régional Estuaire Melen, Libreville, Gabon., Ndong Ngomo JM; Department of Parasitology-Mycology and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Libreville, Gabon.; Operational Research Clinical Unit, Hôpital Régional Estuaire Melen, Libreville, Gabon., M'Bondoukwé NP; Department of Parasitology-Mycology and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Libreville, Gabon.; Operational Research Clinical Unit, Hôpital Régional Estuaire Melen, Libreville, Gabon.; Unité Mixte de Recherche en Agents Infectieux et Pathoogies Assosciées, UMRAIP, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Owendo, Gabon., Moutongo R; Department of Parasitology-Mycology and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Libreville, Gabon.; Unité Mixte de Recherche en Agents Infectieux et Pathoogies Assosciées, UMRAIP, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Owendo, Gabon., Mawili-Mboumba DP; Department of Parasitology-Mycology and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Libreville, Gabon.; Operational Research Clinical Unit, Hôpital Régional Estuaire Melen, Libreville, Gabon.; Unité Mixte de Recherche en Agents Infectieux et Pathoogies Assosciées, UMRAIP, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Owendo, Gabon., Bouyou Akotet MK; Department of Parasitology-Mycology and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Libreville, Gabon.; Operational Research Clinical Unit, Hôpital Régional Estuaire Melen, Libreville, Gabon.; Unité Mixte de Recherche en Agents Infectieux et Pathoogies Assosciées, UMRAIP, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Owendo, Gabon.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Southern African journal of infectious diseases [S Afr J Infect Dis] 2022 Oct 26; Vol. 37 (1), pp. 459. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Oct 26 (Print Publication: 2022).
DOI:	10.4102/sajid.v37i1.459
Abstrakt:	Background: Patients with acute febrile illness need to be screened for malaria and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in malaria-endemic areas to reduce malaria mortality rates and to prevent the transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Objectives: To estimate the frequency of children and adolescents with COVID-19 and/or malaria among febrile patients attending for malaria diagnosis. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a sentinel site for malaria surveillance during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (Omicron variant), from October 2021 to December 2021 in Gabon. All febrile patients were tested for malaria using microscopy. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was detected by real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid antigen tests developed by Sansure Biotech ® . Results: A total of 135 patients were screened. Their median age was 6 (interquartile range [IQR]: 3-14) years. Malaria was confirmed for 49 (36.3%) patients, 29 (32.5%) children, 13 (59.0%) adolescents and 7 (29.2%) adults. The frequency of COVID-19 cases was 7.4% ( n = 10/135), and it was comparable between children ( n = 6; 6.7%), adolescents ( n = 2; 9.1%) and adults ( n = 2; 8.3%) ( p = 0.17). Malaria and COVID-19 co-infections were diagnosed in 3 (6.1%) patients from all the age groups. Participants with a co-infection had a higher median temperature, a higher median parasitaemia, and were mostly infected with non- falciparum malaria. Conclusion: COVID-19 cases and cases of malaria/COVID-19 co-infections were found in febrile children and adolescents. SARS-CoV-2 testing should be included in the screening of suspected malaria cases. Contribution: This study highlights the presence of malaria-COVID-19 coinfection among children and adolescents who should also be screened for both diseases, like for adults. Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article. (© 2022. The Authors.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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