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Abstract
Background: Co-infection of malaria and typhoid can result in serious complications and conditions in pregnant women.
Objectives: This research was carried out to investigate the co-infection of malaria and typhoid fever among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at Primary Health Care centre, Oto-Awori Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Ojo Local Government, Lagos.
Methods: 170 blood samples of pregnant women were examined for the presence of malaria parasite and typhoid fever using standard methods and compared with equal number of non-pregnant women (170). Co-infection was characterized based on age group, trimester, gravidal, education status and employment status. Women's data were collected through questionnaires.
Results: Prevalence of co-infection of malaria and typhoid in pregnant women was high in age group 26-35 years 50 (63.3%), 50 (63.3%) of women in second trimester had coinfection, high prevalence of co-infection was observed in gravidal Co-infection of malaria and typhoid were high among the pregnant women of gravidal 1, 2 and 3. Also, co-infection of malaria and typhoid was high among women with secondary 41 (51.9%) and tertiary 31 (39.2%) education, semi-skilled women 37 (46.8%) and respondents had good knowledge of malaria and typhoid.
Conclusions: This study revealed the prevalence of coinfections among the pregnant women; hence more attention should be given to this group.
Keywords: Pregnant women; Non-pregnant women; Malaria parasite; Typhoid fever; Co-infection
Introduction
Infection is the major cause of maternal, fetal and neonatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. In the developing world, co infections among pregnant women such as malaria and typhoid fever that are maternal systemic infections are often functions of poverty, overcrowding, and malnutrition; impose health costs to the mother and risks to the fetus. These risks include spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, preterm labour and preterm birth, low birth weight, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and infection [1].
Malaria is a major public health problem especially in tropical and sub-Saharan Africa; it assumed to be responsible for about 1 to 3 million deaths and 300-500 million clinical cases annually [2,3].
Typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella typhi conversely remains an important worldwide cause of morbidity and mortality, and continues to be a health problem in developing countries where there is poor sanitation, poor standard of personal hygiene and prevalence of contaminated food [4-6].
Co-infection of malaria and...