Typhoid fever among patients with malaria attending Kumi Hospital Ongino in Kumi District

Abstract

Malaria and typhoid fever are among the most common endemic diseases in the tropics and developing countries. The diseases present with similar signs and symptoms especially during the early stages of typhoid. Because of this, many medical personnel treat the diseases simultaneously in case one is confirmed even without diagnosis is made of the other. The present study therefore, was conducted in order to determine the proportion of patients (people) with the co-infection of malaria and typhoid fever among patients reporting for medication in Kumi Hospital Ongino and also to determine the most affected age group by the co-infection of malaria and typhoid fever. Blood samples of 250 individuals were collected by venipunture technique and were subjected to microscopic examination and Widal agglutination tests, for the identification of Plasmodium parasites and Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi respectively. The results obtained were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and they showed that out of the 250 samples analyzed, 117 (46.8%) tested positive for malaria, 81 (32.4%) tested positive for typhoid fever, 26 (10.4%) tested positive for both malaria and typhoid fever (were co-infected) while the remaining 26 (10.4%) tested negative for both infections. Both malaria and typhoid fever were found prevalent in Ongino and at all age groups but the level of co-infection was low. Therefore, efforts should be taken to improve on the living conditions and/or standards of the people of Ongino, public sensitization should be done in order to provide awareness on preventive and control measures for the two infections. Since both diseases present with similar symptoms, treatment should be based on adequate and/or proper diagnosis. Also, personal hygiene should be encouraged among the entire population of Ongino, Kumi district.