PREVALENCE OF MALARIA, TYPHOID-FEVER, HEPATITIS-B AND THEIR PATTERN OF CO-INFECTION AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN VISITING MATERNITY CENTRES IN AKURE.

Abstract

The major cause of maternal, foetal and neonatal morbidities and mortalities worldwide is infection and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy. These impair the cell mediated immune response and increase the risk and susceptibility of pregnant women to various infections. The state of pregnancy is considered a high risk factor for acquisition of typhoid fever, malaria and hepatitis B infections. Five hundred pregnant women were examined for malaria, typhoid fever and hepatitis B. Demographic data such as age, trimester period, number of previous pregnancies and blood group were evaluated among the respondents using structured questionnaires. Two maternity centres were chosen as the study sites, Comprehensive Health Centre, Arakale and Mother and Child Hospital, Oke- Aro. Thick and thin blood smears were prepared to detect the presence of malaria parasites, hepatitis B virus kit was used to detect hepatitis B virus antigen, and widal test was conducted to detect the presence of Salmonella typhi antibodies in the blood plasma. The results showed that 328(65.6%) pregnant women were infected with malaria parasites, 164(32.8%) were infected with S. typhi while 19(3.8%) pregnant women were infected with hepatitis B virus. It was further observed that 112 (22.4%) women who had typhoid fever also had malaria, while coinfection of malaria and hepatitis B was noted among 11 women (2.2%), 2(0.4%) women had hepatitis B and typhoid fever. It was revealed that malaria was more prevalent among the age group 21-25years (68.1%), and women in their third trimester (66.7%), typhoid fever was more prevalent among age group 21-25years (41.4%) and women in the second trimester (35.5%), while hepatitis B virus was more prevalent among age group 41-45years (14.3%) and women in their second trimester (4.6%). Parity was noted to be a predisposing factor of the pregnant women to infection as malaria (72.2%) and typhoid (34.7%) were more prevalent among the primigravidae while hepatitis B virus was more prevalent among the multigravidae (4.2%). Pregnant women with blood group A negative had the highest prevalence for malaria (100%), typhoid fever (37.5%) and co-infection of malaria and typhoid fever (37.5%). Also, typhoid fever was more prevalent among women who drink well water. The study therefore revealed that pregnant women are still very much at risk of these infectious diseases and the three diseases can coexist in pregnant women. Therefore, appropriate measure must be taken by government in order to reduce the prevalence of these diseases and their co-infections among the pregnant women.