co-infection

Co-infection with malaria and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) increases the severity and mortality rates of both diseases. A better understanding of the effects of co-infections could help in the diagnosis, prompt treatment, prevention, and control of malarial parasites among HIV-infected patients. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we estimated the prevalence and characteristics of severe malaria (SM) caused by co-infection with HIV.

Co-infection with malaria and chikungunya (CHIKV) could exert a significant public health impact with infection misdiagnosis. Therefore, this study aimed to collect qualitative and quantitative evidence of malaria and CHIKV co-infection among febrile patients.

Dengue virus (DENV) causes a spectrum of diseases ranging from asymptomatic, mild febrile to a life-threatening illness: dengue hemorrhagic fever. The main clinical symptom of dengue is fever, similar to that of malaria. The prevalence of dengue virus infection, alone or in association with other endemic infectious diseases in children in Cameroon is unknown.

Among 1,180 symptomatic malaria patients, 9 (0.76%) infected with Plasmodium cynomolgi were co-infected with P. vivax (n = 7), P. falciparum (n = 1), or P. vivax and P. knowlesi (n = 1). Patients were from Tak, Chanthaburi, Ubon Ratchathani, Yala, and Narathiwat Provinces, suggesting P. cynomolgi is widespread in this country.

Individuals with malaria exhibit increased morbidity and mortality when infected with Gram-negative (Gr-) bacteria. To explore this experimentally, we performed co-infection of mice with Plasmodium chabaudi and Citrobacter rodentium, an extracellular Gr- bacterial pathogen that infects the large intestine. While single infections are controlled effectively, co-infection results in enhanced virulence that is characterized by prolonged systemic bacterial persistence and high mortality.