Seroprevalence study of dengue-malaria coinfection in an East-Cameroonian public hospital: A comparison between malarial and non-malarial groups.

BACKGROUNDS OBJECTIVES: Recent research in Cameroon reported several occurrences of dengue in urban settings, but concurrent dengue-malaria infection has received less attention, particularly in the East region. METHODS: A two-month cross-sectional and comparative research was performed at Bertoua Regional Hospital which included 50 malaria-positive participants and 90 non-malaria subjects. Participants were selected and provided with a questionnaire to collect sociodemographic data. Blood samples were collected and tested for dengue infection and hematological parameters were assessed. RESULTS: Dengue fever was found in 14% of malarial patients vs 66.66% of controls. Secondary dengue infection was more prevalent in malarial patients than in non-malarial patients. Gender, age, and place of residence were positively correlated to dengue seropositivity. Platelets were substantially lower (P<0.001) in the malarial group than in the non-malarial group. INTERPRETATION CONCLUSION: In the study, coinfected patients were found to be more vulnerable to dengue, emphasizing the importance of epidemiological surveillance.

Seroprevalence, risk factors and impact of dengue fever/hepatitis B coinfection on liver function parameters in Cameroonian patients.

Introduction: Dengue and hepatitis B are viral infections endemic to tropical areas with liver consequences. However, coinfection cases have been poorly documented worldwide and especially on the African continent. This study aimed at analysing the seroepidemiology of dengue-hepatitis B co-infection in patients recruited at the Regional Hospital of Ngaoundere (Cameroon). Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 225 patients, aged 15-55 years, enrolled at the Laboratory service of Ngaoundere Regional Hospital from 25 September to 10 December 2021. HBsAg and dengue infection were diagnosed using the serological rapid tests. Part of the blood samples was used to quantify lipid profile and liver function parameters. Results: Of the 225 patients recruited, 22.22% (50) tested positive for hepatitis B and 18.18% (38/202) were positive for dengue fever, with a dengue-hepatitis B coinfection rate of 4.95% (10/202). Coinfected patients were not significantly associated with liver injury compared to monoinfected patients. However, they displayed a higher risk of presenting abnormal γ-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT) (RR = 1.74, 90% vs. 51.51%) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values (RR = 1.52, 60% vs. 39.39%) compared to the monoinfected group. Also, there was no difference in total and direct bilirubin between patient groups. The mean triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and coronary heart index values were higher in the coinfected group than in the monoinfected group, but without significance. Conclusions: Taken altogether, these findings suggest that the presence of hepatitis B in dengue patients may slightly affect the liver's metabolic functions. Clinical surveillance of this coinfection is therefore required to avoid further liver complications.