Seroprevalence study of dengue-malaria coinfection in an East-Cameroonian public hospital: A comparison between malarial and non-malarial groups

Abstract

Backgrounds & objectives: Recent research in Cameroon reported several occurrences of dengue in urban settings, but concurrent dengue-malaria infection has received less attention, particularly in the East region. Methods: A two-month cross-sectional and comparative research was performed at Bertoua Regional Hospital which included 50 malaria-positive participants and 90 non-malaria subjects. Participants were selected and provided with a questionnaire to collect sociodemographic data. Blood samples were collected and tested for dengue infection and hematological parameters were assessed. Results: Dengue fever was found in 14% of malarial patients vs 66.66% of controls. Secondary dengue infection was more prevalent in malarial patients than in non-malarial patients. Gender, age, and place of residence were positively correlated to dengue seropositivity. Platelets were substantially lower (P<0.001) in the malarial group than in the non-malarial group. Interpretation & conclusion: In the study, coinfected patients were found to be more vulnerable to dengue, emphasizing the importance of epidemiological surveillance.