Seroprevalence of dengue virus among children presenting with febrile illness in some public health facilities in Cameroon

Abstract

Introduction A routine diagnosis of Dengue virus (DENV) infection is not usually conducted in hospitals. Because symptoms overlap, many potential febrile illnesses due to DENV may be confused for malaria, typhoid or paratyphoid (enteric) fever. The absence of data on DENV exposure rates among children attending health facilities could undermine management of this disease. This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of dengue virus infection in children presenting febrile illness in some public health facilities in Cameroon. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed in children ≤ 15 years attending seven urban and three semi-urban public hospitals of Cameroon. From each volunteer, 2ml of whole blood was collected and tested for dengue virus IgM, malaria (Pf/Pan antigens) and enteric fever (Typhoid IgM) using rapid diagnostic tests (RDT); in order to allow the healthcare workers to quickly put the positive cases under appropriate treatment. Positive cases of dengue virus infection were confirmed by indirect ELISA. Data analysis were performed using the statistical package for social sciences software, version 22.1. Results A total of 961 children were enrolled in the study and 492 (51.2%) were infected with at least one of the three pathogens. Overall, DENV IgM seroprevalence among febrile children was 14.4% (138/961). About 390 (40.6%) and 22 (2.3%) had malaria (Pf/Pan Ag) and enteric fever (Typhoid IgM) respectively. Co-infection with dengue virus was found in 51 (5.3%) participants. The dengue virus IgM seroprevalence was higher in Bankim (19.3%), Ntui (18.3%) and Douala (18.2%). Conclusion Dengue virus infection seroprevalence appears to be low in children presenting with febrile illness in the studied health centres in Cameroon but call for more attention and research to further characterise the circulating strains of the dengue virus.

Habitat and Seasonality Affect Mosquito Community Composition in the West Region of Cameroon

“…The rural and peri-urban habitats were located in Fonakeukeu (05 • All study sites are located in the highland area of western Cameroon that exhibits a sub-tropical climate characterised by two seasons; a dry season of four months (from mid-November to mid-March) and a rainy season of eight months (mid-March to mid-November). The annual average rainfall and temperature of this region are 321 mm and 21.6 °C , respectively [42]. An urban area (Dschang) was defined as a location with more than 1000 persons per km 2 [44].…”

“…In addition to the many human cases of arboviruses reported in the different regions of Cameroon; South [36,37], Littoral [38], Centre [39], Southwest [40], Northwest [41], West, Far North and Adamaoua [42], the country is undergoing a rapid increase in urbanisation that is impacting the population dynamics of mosquito species and, subsequently, the risk of arbovirus transmission to humans. Dschang is one such city in Cameroon which has experienced over the past years, a modification of its natural environment.…”

“…Entomological surveys can then provide important insights into the influence of urban planning and prevention on arboviral epidemics. In the western part of Cameroon, very few studies have examined the circulation of arboviruses in human populations and the presence of mosquito vectors [42,46,47]. Given the lack of studies looking at the mosquito composition after urbanisation in western Cameroon, we undertook an entomological survey to identify potential sylvatic, urban and bridge-vector species that could potentially play a role in current or future virus spillover from wild to more urbanised areas.…”

A mosquito survey along a transect of urbanization in Dschang, West Region of Cameroon, reveals potential risk of arbovirus spillovers

“…[5,9] and in the Fako Division [4]. Furthermore, a recent study found 11.7% and 10.4% of DENV circulating in Dschang and Bagangté respectively [10], all situated in the western highland. Another study revealed acute dengue in children living in urban and semi-urban areas of Dschang [32].…”

“…In a recent review, Braack and colleagues [1] Orthobunyavirus genus, Bunyaviridae family. These findings originate from many studies that have investigated the prevalence of arboviruses in Cameroon mainly based on the serodiagnostic of blood samples collected from humans [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12].…”