Abstract
Background: Parasitic infection is a cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. This study was conducted to determine the co-infection of Plasmodium falciparum and intestinal parasites among the pregnant women in Edo State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A total of 601 participants, consisting of 401 pregnant women attending antenatal clinics and 200 non-pregnant controls, were recruited in this study. The blood and stool specimens were collected from each participant. P. falciparum and intestinal parasites were diagnosed using standard techniques. Results: An overall prevalence of 43.1% of co-infection of P. falciparum and intestinal parasites was observed among the pregnant women. P. falciparum parasitaemia prevalence was 24.9%, whereas the prevalence of intestinal parasites was 18.2%. The most common co-infections among the pregnant women were either P. falciparum/Entamoeba histolytica (16.7%) or P. falciparum/Ascaris lumbricoides (16.7%). Pregnancy status, gestational age and anaemia correlated with the co-infection of P. falciparum/intestinal parasites. Conclusion: Measures to reduce P. falciparum/intestinal parasite co-infection and their effect on pregnant women are advocated.
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