Typhoid Incidence and Environmental (Weather) Determinants in Gombe Municipality Gombe Nigeria: A Five-Year Epidemiological Study

Study’s Excerpt/Novelty This study investigates the epidemiology of typhoid in Gombe Municipality by examining the impact of weather conditions on typhoid incidence over a five-year period. Utilizing data from the State Specialist Hospital and the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, the research employs Poisson regression analysis to reveal significant correlations between increased minimum temperature, humidity, and higher typhoid incidences. The findings, which indicate that more populated areas experience higher typhoid rates, highlight the importance of considering environmental factors in the development of targeted health interventions. Full Abstract This study investigates the incidence of typhoid in Gombe Municipality over five years and examines the impact of weather conditions on these incidences, providing new insights into the epidemiology of typhoid in this region. Typhoid incidence data were obtained from the State Specialist Hospital, while weather data were obtained from the Nigeria Meteorological Agency. Incidences were determined using the incidence proportion method and adjusted to the 73% determined efficiency of the laboratory tests and discovered to be >100/100,000 persons/year, which is interpreted as high. Results also revealed more populated areas had higher typhoid incidences. Poisson regression analysis was used to fit and analyze weather and hospital data. The results showed that increases in minimum temperature by 1°C (OR = 1.080, CI = 1.048 to 1.114, p < 0.01) and humidity by 5% (OR = 1.041, CI = 1.031 to 1.051, p < 0.01) significantly predicted elevations in typhoid incidences. These findings are believed to guide the implementation of targeted health interventions against typhoid in the study area.