Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30286076›Full record

ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2018

Community-based prevalence of typhoid fever, typhus, brucellosis and malaria among symptomatic individuals in Afar Region, Ethiopia.

Biruk Zerfu, Girmay Medhin, Gezahegne Mamo, Gezahegn Getahun, Rea Tschopp, Mengistu Legesse

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
25citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

25 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.

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  18. An Update on the Laboratory Diagnosis ofPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Biruk ZerfuDepartment of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Girmay MedhinMicrobiology Research Unit, Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Gezahegne MamoDepartment of Veterinary Microbiology, Immunology and Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, Bishoftu, Ethiopia.
Gezahegn GetahunMelka Werer Health Center, Amibara district, Melka Were, Ethiopia.
Rea TschoppArmauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Mengistu LegesseMicrobiology Research Unit, Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.ORCID 0000-0002-0407-2365
Addis Ababa University · ETSwiss Tropical and Public Health Institute · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn sub-Saharan Africa, where there is the scarcity of proper diagnostic tools, febrile illness related symptoms are often misdiagnosed as malaria. Information on causative agents of febrile illness related symptoms among pastoral communities in Ethiopia have rarely been described.

methodsIn this a community based cross-sectional survey, we assessed the prevalence of typhoid fever, typhus, brucellosis and malaria among individuals with a set of given symptoms in Amibara district, Afar Region, Ethiopia. Blood samples were collected from 650 study participants, and examined by Widal and Weilfelix direct card agglutination test (DCAT) as well as test tube based titration test for Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (S. Typhi) and Rickettsia infections. Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and Complement Fixation Test (CFT) were used to screen Brucella infection. Thin and thick blood smears were used to diagnosis malaria.

resultsOut of 630 sera screened by DCAT, 83 (13.2%) were reactive to H and/or O antigens for S. Typhi infection. Among these, 46 (55.4%) were reactive by the titration test at the cut off value ≥ 1:80. The combined sero-prevalence for S. Typhi by the two tests was 7.3% (46/630). The seroprevalence for Rickettsia infection was 26.2% (165/630) by DCAT and 53.3% (88/165) by the titration test at the cut off value ≥ 1:80. The combined sero-prevalence for Rickettsia infection by the two tests was 14.0% (88/630). The sero-prevalence for Brucella infection was 12.7% (80/630) by RBPT, of which 28/80 (35%) were positive by CFT. The combined sero-prevalence for Brucella infection by the two tests was 4.4% (28/630). Out 650 suspected individuals for malaria, 16 (2.5%) were found positive for P. falciparum infection.

conclusionIn this study, typhoid fever, typhus, brucellosis and malaria were observed among symptomatic individuals. The study also highlighted that brucellosis cases can be misdiagnosed as malaria or other disease based solely on clinical diagnosis. Therefore, efforts are needed to improve disease awareness and laboratory services for the diagnosis of brucellosis and other zoonotic diseases to identify other causes of febrile illness in this pastoral setting.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overBrucellosisChildChild, PreschoolCross-Sectional StudiesEthiopiaFemaleHumansMalariaMaleMicroscopyMiddle AgedPregnancy

Identifiers

PMID30286076
PMCPMC6191156
OpenAlexW2895729378

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.