Seroprevalence of Yellow Fever Virus and Plasmodium Falciparum in Patients Clinically Diagnosed of Malaria in Delta State, Nigeria

Mosquitoes are carriers of various disease causing agents that can cause diseases both in humans and animals. Malaria is a parasitic disease transmitted by infected female Anopheles mosquitoes while arboviruses are viral disease causing agents also transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. It is recently considered a global threat to humans and has caused widespread morbidity in the world, especially in Africa. The study was carried out to determine the co-infection of Yellow fever virus and Plasmodium falciparum among residents of Delta North, Delta State, Nigeria. The study adopted a cross- sectional survey and was carried out at Ogwashi-Uku central hospital, Kwale central hospital, and Agbor central hospital. Out of the 300 samples analyzed it was found that 62% were positive for Plasmodium falciparum using PF rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kit while 66.7% were positive on microscopy. The study revealed that Agbor central hospital had the highest prevalence rate of P.falciparum (Pf) representing 29% followed by Kwale central hospital 19.7% and then Ogwashi-Uku central hospital 13.3%. PCR technique was used to confirm P.falciparum at 205bp. Yellow fever (YF) immunoglobulins (IgG and IgM) were determined using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. The study revealed the prevalence of yellow IgG and Plasmodium falciparum co-infection in Ogwashi-Uku central hospital as 4.8% and yellow fever IgM and Plasmodium falciparum co-infection as 1.1%. In Kwale central hospital the seroprevalence of yellow fever IgG and Pf was 7% while that of yellow fever IgM and Pf co-infection was 2.2%. Similarly, in Agbor central hospital the study reveals seroprevalence of yellow fever IgG and Pf as 9.1% while that of yellow fever IgM seroprevalence with Pf was 3.2%. This present study suggests that co-infections of yellow fever in malaria patients exists Delta North but in varying degrees. The extent of complications of the co-infection was beyond the scope of this present study.