Parasitic infection prevalence in tuberculosis patients and their household contacts in the Littoral Region of Cameroon

IF 2 Q3 INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Parasite Epidemiology and Control Pub Date : 2025-02-01 DOI:10.1016/j.parepi.2025.e00409

Lucy Cho Nchang , Chefor Magha , Patience Agwa Fonong , Narcisse Victor Tchamatchoua Gandjui , Nancielle Mbiatong Tchatat , Desmond Akumtoh Nkimbeng , Frank Noel Nietcho , Juluis Visnel Foyet , Fanny Fri Fombad , Tatiana Djikeussi Katcho , Jerome Fru Cho , Achim Hoerauf , Manuel Ritter , Samuel Wanji

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Parasitic infections are known to suppress the cell mediated immunity that protects against tuberculosis. The status of parasitic infections among bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis patients and their household contacts in Cameroon is not well established. This study aimed at reporting the status of parasitic infections in TB patients and their household contacts with keen interest in associated risk factors to disease exposure.

Methodology

This was a hospital based cross-sectional descriptive study carried out with newly diagnosed active tuberculosis (TB) patients and their household contacts in the Littoral Region of Cameroon. Socio-demographic data and associated factors were collected using structured questionnaires. Blood, stool, urine and skin snip samples were collected following standard guidelines for investigation of parasitic infections. Descriptive analysis was performed, bivariate analysis was computed and a multivariable analysis was done to provide adjusted odds ratios (AOR).

Results

A total of 712 TB patients and 472 household contacts were recruited. The overall prevalence of parasitic infections in TB patients was 25.84 % (184/712) and household contacts was 31.36 % (148/472). Blood protozoan (Plasmodium falciparum) infection among active TB patients (20.22 %) and their household contacts (26.27 %) was the most frequently detected parasitic infection. Loa loa was the predominant helminth species seen among active TB patients while Schistosoma mansoni was the predominant helminth infection detected in household contacts. TB patients and household contacts living in urban areas had lower odds of being associated with helminth infections (AOR 0.2, 95 % CI: 0.10–0.40; p ˂ 0.0001 and AOR 0.11, 95 % CI: 0.04–0.27; p ˂ 0.0001 respectively) as compared to those residing in rural areas.

Conclusion

We observed that 31 % of the TB patients and household contacts are infected with parasites including P. falciparum, Loa loa and Since helminths can downregulate immune responses against bacterial infections and thus affect treatment efficacy, we recommend that diagnosis of parasitic infections should be included during TB diagnosis and treatment programmes, especially in rural areas.

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喀麦隆沿海地区结核病患者及其家庭接触者中的寄生虫感染流行率

背景：已知寄生虫感染可抑制细胞介导的抗结核免疫。喀麦隆细菌学证实的结核病患者及其家庭接触者中的寄生虫感染状况尚未得到很好的确定。本研究旨在报告结核病患者及其家庭接触者的寄生虫感染状况，并对疾病暴露的相关危险因素感兴趣。方法：这是一项基于医院的横断面描述性研究，研究对象是喀麦隆沿海地区新诊断的活动性结核病（TB）患者及其家庭接触者。采用结构化问卷收集社会人口统计数据及相关因素。血液、粪便、尿液和皮肤样本按照调查寄生虫感染的标准指南收集。进行描述性分析，计算双变量分析，并进行多变量分析以提供调整后的优势比（AOR）。结果：共纳入结核病患者712例，家庭接触者472例。结核病患者寄生虫感染总体患病率为25.84%(184/712)，家庭接触者为31.36%（148/472）。活动性结核患者及其家庭接触者中血原虫（恶性疟原虫）感染最多（20.22%），其感染比例为26.27%。活动性结核患者中以罗阿血吸虫为主，家庭接触者中以曼氏血吸虫为主。结核病患者和生活在城市地区的家庭接触者与寄生虫感染相关的几率较低(AOR为0.2,95% CI: 0.10-0.40；p < 0.0001, AOR 0.11, 95% CI: 0.04-0.27；P < 0.0001)，与居住在农村地区的人相比。结论：我们观察到31%的结核病患者和家庭接触者感染了寄生虫，包括恶性疟原虫、罗阿罗阿疟原虫和寄生虫。由于寄生虫可以下调对细菌感染的免疫反应，从而影响治疗效果，我们建议在结核病诊断和治疗规划中纳入寄生虫感染的诊断，特别是在农村地区。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Parasite Epidemiology and Control Medicine-Infectious Diseases

CiteScore

5.70

自引率

3.10%

发文量

审稿时长

17 weeks

期刊介绍： Parasite Epidemiology and Control is an Open Access journal. There is an increasing amount of research in the parasitology area that analyses the patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions in defined populations. This epidemiology of parasite infectious diseases is predominantly studied in human populations but also spans other major hosts of parasitic infections and as such this journal will have a broad remit. We will focus on the major areas of epidemiological study including disease etiology, disease surveillance, drug resistance and geographical spread and screening, biomonitoring, and comparisons of treatment effects in clinical trials for both human and other animals. We will also look at the epidemiology and control of vector insects. The journal will also cover the use of geographic information systems (Epi-GIS) for epidemiological surveillance which is a rapidly growing area of research in infectious diseases. Molecular epidemiological approaches are also particularly encouraged.