MALARIA AND TYPHOID COINFECTION EVALUATION AMONG TELA PHCC STUDENTS IN GASSOL LGA, TARABA STATE

Background of the study: Malaria is a rapidly developing fever disease caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are transmitted to individuals by the bites of female Anopheles mosquitoes that have been infected. Malaria has garnered significant attention through various pronouncements, prompting the establishment of numerous targets since the turn of the millennium. This heightened focus is warranted due to the alarming fact that over half of the global population remains susceptible to the threat of malaria.According to the World Health Organisation (WHO, 2015), Ukaegbu et al. (2014) assert that Malaria is a potentially fatal illness resulting from infection by five distinct species of protozoan parasites belonging to the Plasmodium genus, specifically P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale, and P. knowlesi.

According to the World Health Organisation (2011) and Iwuafor et al. (2016), there is a global population of around 3.3 billion individuals residing in 97 countries and territories that are susceptible to malaria infection and subsequent illness development. Additionally, it is noted that 1.2 billion individuals are considered to be at a high risk of contracting malaria. It is worth mentioning that the overwhelming majority of human fatalities resulting from malaria can be attributed to the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, primarily concentrated in the sub-Saharan African region. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports from 2013 and 2014, the global incidence of malaria in 2013 was projected to be approximately 198 million cases, resulting in 584,000 deaths. These figures indicate a decline in both the incidence of malaria cases and mortality rates by 30% and 47% respectively, when compared to the year 2000. The condition is widely seen as a manifestation of poverty and is formally acknowledged as a public health concern with significant medical, social, and economic ramifications (Isah et al., 2011). In countries where malaria is prevalent, it is observed that the most economically disadvantaged and socially marginalised people experience the greatest impact, since they face the highest susceptibility to malaria and encounter significant barriers in accessing adequate prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services (World Bank, 2014).

On the contrary, typhoid fever, alternatively referred to as "typhoid," is a clinically manifested bacterial illness caused by Salmonella typhi, also known as Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (Modebe et al., 2014; Wain et al., 2015). The transmission of typhoid fever occurs by the consumption of food and/or water that has been contaminated with the faecal matter of an individual who is infected with the bacteria Salmonella enteric serovar typhi. It is important to note that humans are the exclusive hosts of this infection (Ukaegbu et al., 2014). One of the risk factors associated with increased susceptibility to certain health conditions is poverty, which can be attributed to inadequate sanitation and hygiene practises (Wain et al., 2015). During the years 2000 and 2010, approximately 21.7 million and 13.5 million cases of typhoid fever were reported, respectively. During the period from 2000 to 2013, there were approximately 217,000 and 161,000 recorded fatalities, as reported by Crump et al. (2010) and Buckle et al. (2010) respectively. According to Crump et al. (2004), the region of south-central and Southeast Asia bears the highest prevalence of sickness among infants, children, and adolescents. However, it is worth noting that instances of typhoid fever are commonly documented in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asian nations (Muyembe et al., 2009; Baddam et al., 2012).

As a result of the geographical overlap of both illnesses, the occurrence of co-infections is highly prevalent. The exact prevalence of co-occurring malaria and typhoid fever in many regions is largely unknown due to the shared social factors that contribute to their transmission. Individuals living in areas where both diseases are endemic face a significant risk of contracting either both diseases simultaneously or experiencing an acute infection on top of a chronic one (Keong et al., 2006).