PREVALENCE OF TYPHOID FEVER AND MALARIA CO-INFECTION AMONG PATIENTS ATTENDING VARIOUS HOSPITALS IN ABA, ABIA STATE NIGERIA.

Co-infection of malaria and typhoid fever is a major disease that affect human simultaneously mostly in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). Inhabitants of these regions are always in danger of contracting both infections at the same time due to environmental and socio-economic factors that favors their transmission. A study of co-infection of 7 typhoid and malaria fevers was carried out on 120 patients attending both inpatient and outpatient clinics of various hospitals in Aba, Abia State. Blood specimens were collected from patients and the blood was used to test for malaria parasite and Salmonella typhi. Field stained thick and thin blood films were used to detect malaria parasites in the samples. Typhoid fever was diagnosed from each blood sample using widal test kit. Of the 120 patients sampled, 83(69.1 7%) tested positive for malaria, 59(49.17 %) tested positive for typhoid fever and 44(36.7 %) patients were coinfected with malaria and typhoid fevers. More females 37.1 % than males 36.2 % were coinfected with malaria and typhoid fevers. The co-infection of malaria and typhoid fever was highest in the age group of 20–29 years (44.4 %) while 0–9 years age group had the least prevalence of 25 % followed by age group above 60 (27.3 %). Improvement of sanitary conditions, personal hygiene and reduction in malaria vector and housefly breeding sites were suggested for reduction of the transmission of the diseases. 8