CASES OF MALARIA AND TYPHOID FEVER CO-INFECTIONS AMONG PATIENTS ATTENDING NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY CLINIC, KEFFI, NIGERIA

Jn this study, 2000 blood samples were collected among the patients attending Nasarawa State University clinic with the symptoms for malaria and typhoid fever between January and June, 2009. Parasitological examination was employed in which both thin and thick blood smears were prepared for diagnosing malaria parasites, while widal test was used for the diagnosis of typhoid parasites. ^The results showed that 114 (5.70%) patients were positive for malaria parasites (Plasmodium falciparum), 145 (7.25%) were positive for the co-infection of malaria and typhoid fever, while 79 (3.95%) were positive for typhoid fever. Statistically, there was significant difference between co-infection of malaria pararsites/ typhoid and gender (x2 - 3.841, df = 1, P< 0.05), age group (x2 - 87.5, df = 5, P<0.05). There was a significant difference between the coinfection of malaria parasites/ typhoid and patient's occupation (x2 = 11.07, df = 5, P <0.05)., There was significant difference in the studied factors and malaria parasites as well as typhoid parasites infection P<0.05. From this study it is noted that malaria/ typhoid co-infection is a public health problem, which requires adequate diagnosis and proper choice of drugs for effective treatment of patients.