Co-circulation of Plasmodium and Bacterial DNAs in Blood of Febrile and Afebrile Children from Urban and Rural Areas in Gabon.

Malaria is considered to be the most common etiology of fever in sub-Saharan Africa while bacteremias exist but are under assessed. This study aimed to assess bacteremias and malaria in children from urban and rural areas in Gabon. DNA extracts from blood samples of 410 febrile and 60 afebrile children were analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Plasmodium spp. was the microorganism most frequently detected in febrile (78.8%, 323/410) and afebrile (13.3%, 8/60) children, (P < 0.001). DNA from one or several bacteria were detected in 15 febrile patients (3.7%) but not in the controls (P = 0.1). This DNA was more frequently detected as co-infections among febrile children tested positive for Plasmodium (4.6%, 15/323) than in those tested negative for Plasmodium (0%, 0/87; P = 0.04). The bacteria detected were Streptococcus pneumoniae 2.4% (10/410), Staphylococcus aureus 1.7% (7/410), Salmonella spp. 0.7% (3/410), Streptococcus pyogenes 0.2% (1/410) and Tropheryma whipplei 0.2% (1/410) only in febrile children. Coxiella burnetii, Borrelia spp., Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp., and Mycobacterium tuberculosis were not observed. This paper reports the first detection of bacteremia related to T. whipplei in Gabon and shows that malaria decreases in urban areas but not in rural areas. Co-infections in febrile patients are common, highlighting the need to improve fever management strategies in Gabon.

Possible Role of Rickettsia felis in Acute Febrile Illness among Children in Gabon.

Rickettsia felis has been reported to be a cause of fever in sub-Saharan Africa, but this association has been poorly evaluated in Gabon. We assessed the prevalence of this bacterium among children <15 years of age in 4 areas of Gabon; the locations were in urban, semiurban, and rural areas. DNA samples from 410 febrile children and 60 afebrile children were analyzed by quantitative PCR. Overall, the prevalence of R. felis among febrile and afebrile children was 10.2% (42/410 children) and 3.3% (2/60 children), respectively. Prevalence differed among febrile children living in areas that are urban (Franceville, 1.3% [1/77]), semiurban (Koulamoutou, 2.1% [3/141]), and rural (Lastourville, 11.2% [15/134]; Fougamou, 39.7% [23/58]). Furthermore, in a rural area (Fougamou), R. felis was significantly more prevalent in febrile (39.7% [23/58]) than afebrile children (5.0% [1/20]). Additional studies are needed to better understand the pathogenic role of R. felis in this part of the world.