Scientific publications
Alvine Kengne
Francis N. Nkemngo* (Corresponding author)
Robert Adamu Shey
Jerome Fru-Cho
Samuel Wanji
Lymen W. G. Raissa
Other affiliations: National Centre for Infectious Diseases
Derrick Neba Nebangwa
Asongha M. Nkeng
Leon M. J. Mugenzi
Yvan G. Fotso-Toguem
Daniel Nguiffo-Nguete
Murielle J. Wondji
Charles S. Wondji
Cyrille Ndo
Joanne P. Webstar
Research Square
<title>Abstract</title> Background The double burden of malaria and helminthiasis in children poses an obvious public health challenge particularly in terms of anemia morbidity. While both diseases geographically overlap, most studies focus on mono-infection and general prevalence surveys without molecular analysis. The current study investigated the epidemiological determinants of malaria, schistosomiasis and geohelminthiasis transmission among children in the North Region of Cameroon Methodology: School and pre-school children aged between 3–15 years were enrolled from three communities in March 2021 using a community cross sectional design. Capillary-blood samples were obtained, and each was examined for malaria parasites using RDT, microscopy and PCR while hemoglobin level was measured using a hemoglobinometer. Stool samples were analyzed for <italic>Schistosoma mansoni</italic>, <italic>S. guineensis</italic> and STH infections using Kato Katz method and urine samples were assessed for the presence of <italic>S. haematobium</italic> eggs using the standard urine filtration technique. Result A malaria prevalence of 56% (277/495) was recorded by PCR as opposed to 31.5% (156/495) by microscopy and 37.8% (186/495) by RDT. Similarly, schistosomiasis was observed at prevalence levels of up to 13.3% (66/495) overall [<italic>S. haematobium</italic> (8.7%); <italic>S. mansoni</italic> (3.8%); mixed <italic>Sh/Sm</italic> (0.6%); mixed <italic>Sh/Sm/Sg</italic> (0.2%). Both infections were higher in males and the 3–9 years age group. A high frequency of PCR reported <italic>P. falciparum</italic> mono-infection of 81.9% (227/277) and mixed <italic>P. falciparum/P. malariae</italic> infection of 17.3% (48/277) was observed. Malaria-helminths co-infections were observed at 13.1% (65/495) with marked variation between <italic>P. falciparum</italic>/<italic>S. haematobium</italic> (50.8%, 33/65); <italic>P. falciparum</italic>/S. <italic>mansoni</italic> (16.9%, 11/65) and <italic>P. falciparum</italic>/<italic>Ascaris</italic> (9.2%, 6/65) (<italic>χ</italic><sup><italic>2</italic></sup> = 17.5, p = 0.00003). Anemia prevalence was 32.9% (163/495), categorically associated with <italic>P. falciparum</italic> (45.8%, 104/227), and Pf/Sh (11.5%, 26/227) and Pf/Sm (3.9%, 9/227) polyparasitism. Conclusion Polyparasitism with malaria and helminth infections are common in school children despite periodic long lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs) distribution and regular school-based Praziquantel and Albendazole campaigns. Co-existence of <italic>Plasmodium</italic> parasites and helminths infections notably <italic>Schistosoma</italic> species among children may concurrently lead to an increase in the force of <italic>Plasmodium</italic> infection and an enhanced the risk of anemia, highlighting the necessity of an integrated approach for disease control interventions.
