Malaria Parasitemia in Febrile Patients Mono- and Coinfected with Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis Attending Sanja Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Background. Malaria is a life-threatening disease associated with high morbidity and mortality. Helminths are among the most widespread infectious agents prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions of the developing world. Malaria and soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STHs) are coendemic and major public health problems in Ethiopia. The effects of helminth coinfection on malaria parasitemia remained poorly understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess malaria parasitemia among malaria-monoinfected and malaria-soil-transmitted helminthiasis–coinfected febrile patients attending Sanja Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional study with parallel groups was conducted to assess malaria parasitemia among malaria-monoinfected and malaria-soil-transmitted helminthiasis–coinfected febrile patients in Sanja Hospital from January to March 2019. Double population proportion formula was used for sample size calculation, and convenient sampling technique was used to select 134 study participants. Data were entered and analyzed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were performed. A P value of <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results. From 134 malaria-positive study participants, 67 were malaria-monoinfected and 67 were malaria-STHs–coinfected patients. Out of 67 malaria STHs-coinfected patients, 54 (80.6%) were infected with hookworm followed by Ascaris lumbricoides 11 (16.4%) and Strongyloides stercoralis 2 (3%). The mean Plasmodium parasite density was significantly higher in malaria-STHs–coinfected patients than in patients infected with only Plasmodium parasites (P=0.027). The intensities of hookworm infection showed a positive association with Plasmodium parasite densities (F=6.953, P=0.002). Conclusions. Infections with STHs, especially hookworm, were positively associated with Plasmodium parasite density. The current study finding also revealed that increased worm burden of hookworm as expressed by egg intensity had significantly increased Plasmodium parasite density.