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 Yaounde 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.
Highlights
Apicomplexa form a huge family of parasites that cause many different illnesses in humans and animals, and which includes Plasmodium, the parasite that causes malaria and Toxoplasma gondii, the agent that causes toxoplasmosis. [1]
[5] The hematological aspects have some relationship with toxoplasmosis, in most acute toxoplasma infection; the symptoms may be associated with fever, headache, muscle pain, anemia, thrombocytopenia and sometimes lung complications, which are somewhat similar to the symptoms of malaria. [5, 6] the dual presence of these two parasites would be expected to have a more negative effect on the disease severity due to their effects on the hematological parameters. [6]
Based on our results toxoplasmosis and malaria of co-infection led to an increase in RBCs, WBCs, and platelets counts in our study population
Summary
Apicomplexa form a huge family of parasites that cause many different illnesses in humans and animals, and which includes Plasmodium, the parasite that causes malaria and Toxoplasma gondii, the agent that causes toxoplasmosis. [1]Toxoplasmosis is becoming a global health hazard as it infects 30–50% of the world human population. [2] Clinically, the life-long presence of the parasite in tissues of a majority of infected individuals is usually considered asymptomatic. A parasitic disease spread by the bite of a mosquito, results in 300 million to 500 million clinical cases and causes more than 1 million deaths yearly. It is young children under the age of five in sub- Saharan Africa who are affected, dying at the rate of nearly 3,000 every day. Apart from being endemic in the sub Saharan areas these pathogens have been incriminated for the cause of febrile illnesses in children In this line, malarial infections are well known to cause changes in blood cell counts. Hematological changes in the course of a malaria infection, such as anemia, thrombocytopenia and leukocytosis or leucopoenia are well recognized. [5] The hematological aspects have some relationship with toxoplasmosis, in most acute toxoplasma infection; the symptoms may be associated with fever, headache, muscle pain, anemia, thrombocytopenia and sometimes lung complications, which are somewhat similar to the symptoms of malaria. [5, 6] the dual presence of these two parasites would be expected to have a more negative effect on the disease severity due to their effects on the hematological parameters. [6]
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