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The Effects of Toxoplasmosis and Malaria Coinfection on Malaria Parasite Density and Hematological Parameters in Children (0-6 Years) in the Nkolbisson Health District, Cameroon

Received: 18 September 2016     Accepted: 15 October 2016     Published: 23 November 2016
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Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium species are both endemic apicomplexan parasites that have been incriminated in the cause of febrile illnesses in children in the sub-Saharan regions of Africa. Moreover these parasites have some common routes of transmission, common receptors for pathogenicity and both effect or of some hematological parameters. Despites this, little is known about the prevalence of toxoplasmosis and malaria co-infection in Cameroon and their effects on hematological parameters and malaria parasite density. Venous blood was collected from 315 febrile children in the Nkolbisson Health District found in Yaoundé Cameroon. For each participant: RDT for Toxoplasma gondii, Toxoplasma gondii IgG avidity test, thick film microscopy and full blood count was performed. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis was 40%, malaria 42.8% and toxoplasmosis and malaria co-infection 20%. The age group 0-5 years was identified as risk group for both infections and Nkol-Atem had the highest prevalence of both infections. Toxoplasmosis and malaria of co-infection led to a slight increase in RBCs, WBCs, and platelets counts in our study population. This could therefore be suggestive of a mechanism between the two parasites that may improve the physiology of blood cells production. However the presence of a co-infection did not show any influence on the malaria parasite density. This study provides valuable information on the prevalence of malaria and toxoplasmosis co-infection in Cameroonian children where data is almost unavailable. This study thus indicates a need to enforce control and preventive measures against these infections in Cameroonian children.

Published in Journal of Family Medicine and Health Care (Volume 2, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.jfmhc.20160204.19
Page(s) 81-88
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2016. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Toxoplasmosis, Malaria, Coinfection, Children, Cameroon

References
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[2] Center for disease control, 2015 Global Health - Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. Lastly reviewed march 2015.
[3] Montoya JG, 2008. Laboratory diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection and toxoplasmosis. J Infect Dis C; 185 (Suppl 1): S73–82.
[4] Moulin F, Lesage F, Legros AH, Maroga C, Moussavou A, Guyon P, Marc E, Gendrel D. 2003 Thrombocytopenia and Plasmodium falciparum malaria in children with different exposures. Arch Dis Child.; 88: 540–541. doi: 10.1136/adc.88.6.540.
[5] Al-Mousawi, G. N. (2008): Some Immunological and sero-epidemiological aspects associated with toxoplasmosis in aborted and unmarried women in Basrah province. M. Sc. Thesis, University of Basrah.
[6] Di Carlo P, Romano A, Schimmenti MG, Mazzola A, Titone L. 2008 Materno- fetal Toxoplasma gondii infection: critical review of available diagnostic methods. Infez Med; 16 (1): 28–32.
[7] Nissapatorn V, Azmi Noor MA, Cho SM, Fong MY, Init I, Rohela M. (2003) Toxoplasmosis; Prevalence and risk factors. J ObstetGynaecol; 23: 618-624.
[8] Eva Songue, Claudel Tagne, Pretty Mbouyap, Paul Essomba, Roger Moyou –Somo 2013. Epidemiology of Malaria in three Geo-Ecological Zones along the Chad-Cameroon Pipeline.
[9] Jasim Hameed Taher, 2009 “Seroepidemiological aspects of toxoplasmosis among pre-school children in Najaf Province” Technical Institute\ Kufa – Iraq.
[10] Fayer R, Dubey JP, Lindsay DS: Zoonotic protozoa: from land to sea. Trends Parasitol 2004, 20: 531-536.
[11] Haldar K, Mohandas N. Malaria, erythrocytic infection, and anemia. Hematology Am SocHematolEduc Program. 2009: 87–93. doi: 10.1182/asheducation-2009.1.87 Eva Songue Plan stratégique national de luttecontre le paludisme 2011-2015. Ministère de la Santé Publique. Cameroun. 2012: 82p.
[12] Vincent Pam Gyang, OlaoluwaPheabianAkinwale, Yueh-Lun Lee, Ting-Wu Chuang, AkwaowoOrok, OlusolaAjibaye, Chien-Wei Liao, Po-Ching Cheng, Chia-Mei Chou, Ying-Chieh Huang, Kuo-Hua Fan, Chia-Kwung Fan 2014 “Toxoplasma gondii infection: seroprevalence and associated risk factors among primary schoolchildren in Lagos City, Southern Nigeria” http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0310-2014.
[13] Manas Kotepui, Bhukdee Phunphuech, Nuoil Phiwklam, Chaowanee Chupeerach, and Suwit Duangmano, 2014 “Effect of malarial infection on haematological parameters in population near Thailand-Myanmar border” Published online 2014 Jun 5. doi: 10.1186/1475-2875-13-218.
[14] Passos ST, Silver JS, O’Hara AC, Sehy D, Stumhofer JS, Hunter CA. IL-6 promotes NK cell production of IL- 17 during toxoplasmosis. J Immunol; 2010, 184: 1776-83.
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    Samuel Nambile Cumber, Kameni Nguekam Yvonne-Estelle, Shalom Jaila. (2016). The Effects of Toxoplasmosis and Malaria Coinfection on Malaria Parasite Density and Hematological Parameters in Children (0-6 Years) in the Nkolbisson Health District, Cameroon. Journal of Family Medicine and Health Care, 2(4), 81-88. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfmhc.20160204.19

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    ACS Style

    Samuel Nambile Cumber; Kameni Nguekam Yvonne-Estelle; Shalom Jaila. The Effects of Toxoplasmosis and Malaria Coinfection on Malaria Parasite Density and Hematological Parameters in Children (0-6 Years) in the Nkolbisson Health District, Cameroon. J. Fam. Med. Health Care 2016, 2(4), 81-88. doi: 10.11648/j.jfmhc.20160204.19

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    AMA Style

    Samuel Nambile Cumber, Kameni Nguekam Yvonne-Estelle, Shalom Jaila. The Effects of Toxoplasmosis and Malaria Coinfection on Malaria Parasite Density and Hematological Parameters in Children (0-6 Years) in the Nkolbisson Health District, Cameroon. J Fam Med Health Care. 2016;2(4):81-88. doi: 10.11648/j.jfmhc.20160204.19

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  • @article{10.11648/j.jfmhc.20160204.19,
      author = {Samuel Nambile Cumber and Kameni Nguekam Yvonne-Estelle and Shalom Jaila},
      title = {The Effects of Toxoplasmosis and Malaria Coinfection on Malaria Parasite Density and Hematological Parameters in Children (0-6 Years) in the Nkolbisson Health District, Cameroon},
      journal = {Journal of Family Medicine and Health Care},
      volume = {2},
      number = {4},
      pages = {81-88},
      doi = {10.11648/j.jfmhc.20160204.19},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfmhc.20160204.19},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jfmhc.20160204.19},
      abstract = {Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium species are both endemic apicomplexan parasites that have been incriminated in the cause of febrile illnesses in children in the sub-Saharan regions of Africa. Moreover these parasites have some common routes of transmission, common receptors for pathogenicity and both effect or of some hematological parameters. Despites this, little is known about the prevalence of toxoplasmosis and malaria co-infection in Cameroon and their effects on hematological parameters and malaria parasite density. Venous blood was collected from 315 febrile children in the Nkolbisson Health District found in Yaoundé Cameroon. For each participant: RDT for Toxoplasma gondii, Toxoplasma gondii IgG avidity test, thick film microscopy and full blood count was performed. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis was 40%, malaria 42.8% and toxoplasmosis and malaria co-infection 20%. The age group 0-5 years was identified as risk group for both infections and Nkol-Atem had the highest prevalence of both infections. Toxoplasmosis and malaria of co-infection led to a slight increase in RBCs, WBCs, and platelets counts in our study population. This could therefore be suggestive of a mechanism between the two parasites that may improve the physiology of blood cells production. However the presence of a co-infection did not show any influence on the malaria parasite density. This study provides valuable information on the prevalence of malaria and toxoplasmosis co-infection in Cameroonian children where data is almost unavailable. This study thus indicates a need to enforce control and preventive measures against these infections in Cameroonian children.},
     year = {2016}
    }
    

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    AB  - Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium species are both endemic apicomplexan parasites that have been incriminated in the cause of febrile illnesses in children in the sub-Saharan regions of Africa. Moreover these parasites have some common routes of transmission, common receptors for pathogenicity and both effect or of some hematological parameters. Despites this, little is known about the prevalence of toxoplasmosis and malaria co-infection in Cameroon and their effects on hematological parameters and malaria parasite density. Venous blood was collected from 315 febrile children in the Nkolbisson Health District found in Yaoundé Cameroon. For each participant: RDT for Toxoplasma gondii, Toxoplasma gondii IgG avidity test, thick film microscopy and full blood count was performed. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis was 40%, malaria 42.8% and toxoplasmosis and malaria co-infection 20%. The age group 0-5 years was identified as risk group for both infections and Nkol-Atem had the highest prevalence of both infections. Toxoplasmosis and malaria of co-infection led to a slight increase in RBCs, WBCs, and platelets counts in our study population. This could therefore be suggestive of a mechanism between the two parasites that may improve the physiology of blood cells production. However the presence of a co-infection did not show any influence on the malaria parasite density. This study provides valuable information on the prevalence of malaria and toxoplasmosis co-infection in Cameroonian children where data is almost unavailable. This study thus indicates a need to enforce control and preventive measures against these infections in Cameroonian children.
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Author Information
  • Discipline of Public Health Medicine, Department of Nursing & Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

  • Under Privilege Children and Women Assistance (UPCAWA-SWEDEN), Bamenda, Cameroon

  • Under Privilege Children and Women Assistance (UPCAWA-SWEDEN), Bamenda, Cameroon

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