1. Co-infection of malaria and intestinal parasites among pregnant women in Edo State, Nigeria
- Author
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Mathew O Oriakhi, Frederick Olusegun Akinbo, Christopher E Okaka, and Taiwo A Olowookere
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,biology ,Obstetrics ,business.industry ,030231 tropical medicine ,Intestinal parasite ,Gestational age ,Plasmodium falciparum ,medicine.disease ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease_cause ,Parasitic infection ,03 medical and health sciences ,Entamoeba histolytica ,0302 clinical medicine ,parasitic diseases ,medicine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Ascaris lumbricoides ,business ,Malaria ,Co infection - 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.
- Published
- 2017
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