A Combined Syndromic Approach to Examine Viral, Bacterial, and Parasitic Agents among Febrile Patients: A Pilot Study in Kilombero, Tanzania

Hercik, Christine; Cosmas, Leonard; Mogeni, Ondari D.; Wamola, Newton; Kohi, Wanze; Houpt, Eric; Liu, Jie; Ochieng, Caroline; Onyango, Clayton; Fields, Barry; Mfinanga, Sayoki; Montgomery, Joel M.

This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Illovo Sugar Limited Estate Hospital (K1) and Clinic (K2). Kilombero (population > 321,000) is situated at an elevation of 300 m above mean sea level in the Morogoro Region (population > 2 million) of South-Central Tanzania. The climate is characterized by a long rainy period (March-May) and a short rainy period (October-December). Malaria transmission intensity in this region is high. 25, 26 Study design. The objective of this hospital-based crosssectional study was to assess the type and prevalence of viral, bacterial, and parasitic agents detected among patients presenting with acute febrile illness (AFI) at Illovo K1 Hospital and K2 Clinic. In this regard, consenting patients with an axillary temperature ³ 37.5°C and symptomatic onset of £ 5 days were eligible for enrollment. In addition to the collection of biological specimens, we collected demographic, clinical, and behavioral data to further characterize our patient population.