The prevalence of malaria and typhoid co-infection in pregnant women attending antenatal in Wuse general hospital Abuja, Nigeria

Malaria and typhoid fever are both endemic in the tropics and pregnant women constitute one of the high risk groups. The objective is to determine the rate of malaria- typhoid co-infection in pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Wuse general hospital Abuja, Nigeria.A study of malaria infection and typhoid fever on the pregnant women attending wuse general hospital and its haematological parameters was carried out between April and May, 2015 in Abuja.  Blood samples were collected and examined for malaria and typhoid using widal agglutination method and P. falciparium antigens rapid test device respectively. Of the 200 sampled, 16(8%) were infected with malaria parasite while 77 (38.5%) were infected with typhoid, 9(4.5%) had the malaria typhoid co-infection.  More co-infection 7(10.6%) was recorded among primigravidae than the multigravidae 2 (2.2%) these differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05, df =1, X 2 cal= 8.5462, X 2 tab= 3.841). Highest prevalence was recorded among those in their first trimester 6 (8.9%) and lowest among those in the third trimester 0 (0%), these differences were also statistically significant (P < 0.05, df =1, X 2 cal= 4.3292, X 2 tab= 5.991). The study showed that typhoidfever was complicated by malaria in pregnancy in at least 38.5% of the cases and this has a far reaching effect on adverse pregnancy outcome. This has immense public health implication.