Rate of Malaria-Typhoid co-infection among Pregnant women attending Antenatal Clinics in Anambra State South- East Nigeria.

Background: Malaria and typhoid fever are both endemic in the tropics and pregnant women constitute one of the high risk groups. Objective: To determine the rate of malariatyphoid co-infection in pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in hospitals in Anambra State, South –East Nigeria. Methodology: A cross sectional study of 700 volunteer pregnant women recruited during routine antenatal clinics in five major public and private hospitals in Anambra State, South- East Nigeria was conducted. Malaria infection was determined by qualitative immunodiagnostic assay and confirmed by microscopic examination of thick and thin Giemsa stained slides. Typhoid infection was determined by Widal agglutination method and confirmed by stool culture. Results: Out of 700 pregnant women studied 512 (73.1%) were malaria parasite positive and out of this number 236 (46%) had significantly positive Widal reaction. Out of 100 stool samples cultured 20 (20%) were positive for Salmonella. This shows that the rate of Malaria –typhoid co-infection was 46% by Widal agglutination method and 20% by stool sample method. Conclusion: The study showed that malaria was complicated by typhoid fever in pregnancy in at least 20% of the cases and this has a far reaching effect on adverse pregnancy outcome. This has immense public health implication.