ArticlePloS one2023
Epidemiology of malaria, schistosomiasis, and geohelminthiasis amongst children 3-15 years of age during the dry season in Northern Cameroon.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Over-dispersion in malaria-schistosoma co-infection: insights from a meta-analytical approach and systematic review.Infectious diseases of poverty · 2026Pooled it
- Prevalence of Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni co-infection in sub-saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Pooled it
- Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum coinfection with Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni among children in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Malaria journal · 2026Pooled it
- Integration of population-based surveys for neglected tropical diseases: A scoping review.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- Burden of malaria among children aged 5-10 years in the Sahelian area: do we need to adapt seasonal malaria chemoprophylaxis?BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Prevalence and epidemiological factors associated with urogenital schistosomiasis amongst school children in three health districts of Cameroon; Lagdo (North), Loum and Njombe-Penja (Littoral): a cross-sectional study.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Article
- Article
- Geographical emergence of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine drug resistance-associatedAntimicrobial agents and chemotherapy · 2023Article
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16 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThe double burden of malaria and helminthiasis in children poses an obvious public health challenge, particularly in terms of anemia morbidity. While both diseases frequently 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 3-15 year-of-age 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 rapid-diagnostic-test (RDT), microscopy, and PCR while hemoglobin level was measured using a hemoglobinometer. Stool samples were analyzed for Schistosoma mansoni, S. guineensis, and soil-transmitted-helminthiasis (STH) infections using the Kato Katz method, and urine samples were assessed for the presence of S. haematobium eggs (including hybrids) using the standard urine filtration technique.
resultA 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 [S. haematobium (8.7%); S. mansoni (3.8%); mixed Sh/Sm (0.6%); mixed Sh/Sm/Sg (0.2%). Both infections were higher in males and the 3-9 year-of-age groups. A high frequency of PCR reported P. falciparum mono-infection of 81.9% (227/277) and mixed P. falciparum/P. malariae infection of 17.3% (48/277) was observed. Malaria-helminths co-infections were observed at 13.1% (65/495) with marked variation between P. falciparum/S. haematobium (50.8%, 33/65); P. falciparum/S. mansoni (16.9%, 11/65) and P. falciparum/Ascaris (9.2%, 6/65) (χ2 = 17.5, p = 0.00003). Anemia prevalence was 32.9% (163/495), categorically associated with P. falciparum (45.8%, 104/227), Pf/Sh (11.5%, 26/227), and Pf/Sm (3.9%, 9/227) polyparasitism.
conclusionPolyparasitism with malaria and helminth infections is common in school-aged children despite periodic long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) distribution and regular school-based praziquantel (for schistosomiasis) and albendazole (for STH) campaigns. Co-existence of Plasmodium parasites and helminths infections notably Schistosoma species among children may concurrently lead to an increase in Plasmodium infection with an enhanced risk of anemia, highlighting the necessity of an integrated approach for disease control interventions.
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