Malaria and Typhoid Fever: Prevalence, Co-Infection and Socio-Demographic Determinants among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care at a Primary Healthcare Facility in Central Nigeria

Aims: This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence, co-infection and socio-demographic determinants of malaria and typhoid fever among pregnant women attending antenatal care at a primary health care facility in Central Nigeria.

Study Design: The study was a cross sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Keffi, Nasarawa State, between January and October, 2020.

Methodology: Blood sample (4 ml) was collected from each of the 429 consenting pregnant women attending antenatal care at Primary Healthcare Centre main market, Keffi, Nasarawa State. Malaria parasite was detected from the blood samples using one-step malaria rapid diagnostic test kit (SD Bioline, Inc, USA) and was confirmed by Gimesa stained thin and thick film microscopy while typhoid fever was diagnosed using Cromatest widal commercial antigen suspension (Linear Chemicals, Barcelona, Spain). Data collected were analysed using Smith’s Statistical Package (version 2.8, California, USA) and P value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Of the 429 pregnant women screened, 123(28.7%) had malaria, 33(7.7%) had typhoid fever while 12(2.8%) had malaria-typhoid co-infection. Malaria-typhoid co-infection was found to be higher among pregnant women aged ≤30 years (3.5%), traders (3.9%), with primary education (3.2%) and who were from rural areas (6.3%). However, only location of the pregnant women was associated with the rate of malaria-typhoid co-infection (P< 0.05) whereas age, educational status and occupation were independent of the co-infection (P> 0.05).

Conclusion: We confirmed the presence of malaria-typhoid co-infection among pregnant women in the study area. Considering it adverse effects on pregnancy and it outcome, there is need for more efforts towards it prevention, control and management.