Malaria Control & Elimination

Co-circulation of Flavivirus and Malaria Antibodies in Nigeria

Abstract

Martin King

A growing threat to public health are raboviruses and malaria, which affect not only the general population but also immune compromised individuals and pregnant women. Due to the co-circulation and transmission of ZIKV, malaria and FLAVI fever, individuals in vulnerable groups are more likely to experience severe complications. These mosquito-borne infections pose a diagnostic challenge for physicians in regions where they co-circulate because their clinical presentations overlap with those of other diseases in sub-Saharan countries like Nigeria. Maternal health and foetal outcomes can be devastatingly affected by vertical transmission, including an increased risk of foetal loss and premature birth. There is a lack of information regarding the prevalence of arboviruses, particularly ZIKV and other flaviviruses, in Nigeria despite the worldwide recognition of their burden.