Bacterial etiologies of non-malaria febrile illnesses have significantly become important due to high mortality and morbidity, particularly in children. Despite their importance, there are few reports on the epidemiology of these diseases in Tanzania, and the true burden of such illnesses remains unknown.
This study aimed to identify the prevalence of leptospirosis, brucellosis, typhoid fever and urinary tract infections and their rate of co-infections with malaria. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Kilosa district hospital in Tanzania for 6 months.
Febrile children aged from 2โ13 years were recruited from the outpatient department. A total of patients were enrolled; of these 85 Presumptive acute brucellosis due to B. Presumptive typhoid fever due to S.
Typhi was identified in thirty eight Patients presented with similar symptoms; therefore, the identification of these diseases could not be done based on clinical ground alone. Co-infections between malaria and bacterial febrile illnesses were observed in patients The study has underscored the importance of febrile bacterial diseases including zoonoses such as leptospirosis and brucellosis in febrile children, and thus such illnesses should be considered by clinicians in the differential diagnoses of febrile diseases.
However, access to diagnostic tests for discrimination of febrile illnesses is needed. This would allow febrile patients to receive the correct diagnoses and facilitation of accurate and prompt treatment. Understanding the bacterial causes of fever, particularly in the era of reported decline of malaria, is very important. In Tanzania, data on the prevalence of these diseases in several regions is limited.
