Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 May 25;21(1):477.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-021-06201-9.

Confounding influences of malnutrition and Plasmodium falciparum and Schistosoma haematobium infections on haematological parameters in school children in Muyuka, Cameroon

Irene Ule Ngole Sumbele  1   2 , Ofon Vitalis Otia  3 , Lorraine Francis  4 , Orelien Sylvain Mtopi Bopda  3   5 , Calvin Bisong Ebai  3   6 , Teh Rene Ning  3 , Helen Kuo Kuo Kimbi  3   6 , Theresa Nkuo-Akenji  7
Affiliations

Confounding influences of malnutrition and Plasmodium falciparum and Schistosoma haematobium infections on haematological parameters in school children in Muyuka, Cameroon

Irene Ule Ngole Sumbele et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: School-aged children (SAC) are a high-risk demographic group for infectious diseases and malnutrition. The objective of this study was to assess the burden and the effect of Plasmodium falciparum and Schistosoma haematobium infections on the haematological indices in SAC and the confounding influence of malnutrition on the outcomes.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in SAC 4-14 years old living in Ikata, Bafia and Mile 14-Likoko in Muyuka, Cameroon. Anthropometric measures of malnutrition were obtained and blood samples collected were used for detection of malaria parasites by Giemsa-stained blood films using light microscopy and complete blood count analysis using an automated haematology analyser. Urine samples collected were used to detect micro haematuria with the aid of reagent strips and the eggs of S. haematobium by urine filtration technique. Multiple linear regression model was used to examine influence of independent variables on haematological parameters.

Results: Out of the 606 SAC examined, the prevalence of single infections with Plasmodium or S. haematobium and co-infection with both parasites was 16.2, 16.3 and 8.3%, respectively. Overall, malaria parasite (MP), urogenital schistosomiasis, malnutrition, anaemia, haematuria, microcytosis and thrombocytopenia was prevalent in 24.4, 24.6, 25.9, 74.4, 12.2, 45.4 and 11.1% of SAC, respectively. A significant linear decline (P = 0.023) in prevalence of P. falciparum infection with the severity of stunting was observed. Factors that significantly influenced haematological parameters included haemoglobin: age, stunting and MP; haematocrit: age and MP; white blood cell count: age; red blood cell count; age and MP; lymphocyte counts: stunting; mean cell volume: age; mean cell haemoglobin: age and stunting; mean cell haemoglobin concentration: sex, stunting and red cell distribution width-coefficient of variation: sex, age and stunting.

Conclusions: Malnutrition, Plasmodium and S. haematobium infections are common while anaemia is a severe public health problem in Muyuka, Cameroon. The interaction between haematological parameters with malaria parasites as well as linear growth index was negative and other interactions indicate systemic inflammation. While findings provide contextual intervention targets to ensure the judicious use of the limited resources, there is need for regular monitoring and proper treatment to improve the health of the underserved population.

Keywords: Anaemia; Cameroon; Co-infection; Haematological parameter; Malnutrition; Plasmodium; S. Haematobium; School-aged children; Stunting.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Prevalence of single infections of P. falciparum and S. haematobium and co-infection by stunting severity
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Moderate and severe stunting prevalence by sex and age
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
P. falciparum (a) and S. haematobium (b) parasite density category prevalence by malnutrition status and severity of stunting
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Prevalence of anaemia and its severity by infection category
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Hotez PJ, Alvarado M, Basa MG, Bolliger I, Bourne R, Michel Boussinesq M, et al. The global burden of disease study 2010: interpretation and implications for the neglected tropical diseases. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2014;8(7):e2865. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002865. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Grimes JET, Croll D, Harrison WE, Utzinger J, Freeman MC, Templeton MR. The relationship between water, sanitation and schistosomiasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2014;8(12):e3296. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003296. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Yang D, He Y, Wu B, Deng Y, Li M, Yang Q, Huang L, Cao Y, Liu Y. Drinking water and sanitation conditions are associated with the risk of malaria among children under five years old in sub-Saharan Africa: a logistic regression model analysis of national survey data. J Adv Res. 2020;21:1–13. doi: 10.1016/j.jare.2019.09.001. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Nankabirwa J, Brooker SJ, Clarke SE, Fernando D, Gitonga CW, Schellenberg D, Greenwood B. Malaria in school-age children in Africa: an increasingly important challenge. Trop Med Int Hlth. 2014;19(11):1294–1309. doi: 10.1111/tmi.12374. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Martins AC, Araújo FM, Braga CB, Guimarães MGS, Nogueira R, Arruda RA, Fernandes LN, Correa LR, Malafronte RS, Cruz OG, Codeço CT, da Silva-Nunes M. Clustering symptoms of non-severe malaria in semi-immune Amazonian patients. PeerJ. 2015;3:e1325. doi: 10.7717/peerj.1325. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

MeSH terms