Mountain Top University Library

Malaria and bacteremia are significant causes of morbidity and mortality in Africa, particularly in children. With the increasing burden of infectious diseases, understanding the patterns of single and co-infections in a locality is crucial for effective healthcare management. This study investigated the prevalence of single and co-infections of these diseases among febrile children.
Forty children within 1-15 years were recruited from the Out-Patient Clinic of a tertiary health facility. Questionnaires were administered to obtain demographic details, clinical presentation and treatment history. Whole blood (3 ml) was obtained through venipuncture and the blood was screened for presence of malaria parasites and bacteremia using microscopy and bacteria culturing respectively. The data was computed and analyzed using SPSS version 27.0. Descriptive statistics
and chi-square tests were used to analyze the data. The average age of the patients was 9.35. The most common presenting symptom was fever in 90% of patients. Other common symptoms include chills (42.5%), headache (52.5%), loss of appetite (52.5%), and dark urine (92.5%). Less common symptoms include vomiting (30%), diarrhea (5%), cough (32.5%), abdominal pain
(15%), yellowness of eyes (2.5%), and other symptoms (22.5%). The prevalence of malaria only was 37.5%, bacteremia only was 7.5%, 15% were co-infected with malaria and Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia and 40% had neither malaria nor bacteremia.
The findings of this study underscore the significance of considering both single and co-infections in the diagnosis and management of pediatric cases in the out-patient setting. Understanding the prevalence and patterns of these infections can guide healthcare practitioners in optimizing treatment strategies, reducing unnecessary antibiotic use, and improving patient outcomes.
Keywords: Malaria, Bacteremia, Co-infection, Prevalence.