PREVALENCE AND COINCIDENCE OF HELMINTH AND SALMONELLA INFECTION IN A COHORT OF HOSPITAL PATIENTS IN CAMEROON

Eric Igor Sop Foka, Theodore B. Mayaka, Lucy Agyingi, Jeannette Yondo and Mpoame Mbida*

ABSTRACT

Salmonellosis is a bacterial infection caused by Salmonella species. It is often the consequence of host sensitivity, which is influenced by helminthic infections. The aim of this study was to assess the biological relationship between Salmonella and gastrointestinal helminths. Three hundred patients coming for consultation at Dschang District Hospital, Saint Vincent De Paul, and Ad-Lucem Hospitals and presenting with salmonellosis symptoms and signs, between October 2015 and January 2016 gave blood and stool samples for serological and coprological (stool culture and flotation technique) analysis respectively. Vidal test revealed a Salmonella prevalence of 68.7% while stool culture made on Salmonella-Shigella agar gave a prevalence of 16.33%; Vidal false positives was 23.79%. While prevalence of helminthic infections was 4.33%; three gastrointestinal helminths were identified: Ascaris spp., Trichuris spp., and Hookworms with prevalence and intensity of 3(322,50), 1.33(76.67) and 0.66% (50,00). Salmonella-helminth association graded to 0.38 showed an odds ratio (OR) of 7,54 and denote that gastrointestinal helminths favor the installation and rise Salmonella proportion in the host. Moreover, the association link between these pathogens was parasitism. Finally, the consumption of raw or underdone food (salad, fruit, eggs and meat), drinking spring water, and bad body hygiene were identified as epidemiological risk factors for Salmonella and helminthes contamination.

Keywords: Co-infection, Salmonella, helminths, Vidal, stool culture.