Clinical Profile of Co-Infections and Bacterimia in Adults with Malaria – An Experience from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Northeastern India.

ABSTRACT

Bacterial co-infection associated with malaria is potentially important but poorly documented. Published reports are mainly from African children while data from adult Indian population are limited. To determine the spectrum of concurrent bacterial infection in malaria the present study was conducted in department of Medicine at Tripura Medical College. Out of eighty patients, 58 had falciparum, 15 had dual infection and 7 had vivax malaria. Blood culture failed to confirm bacteraemia in any sample with the exception of one case of complicated malaria showing the growth of Escherichia Coli. Urine culture also grew Escherichia Coli in 2.5% of enrolled patients. Anti salmonella IgM antibody was detected in 7.5% of the study population. Sputum culture was positive of streptococcus pneumoniae in single patient with radiological evidence of consolidation. CSF culture was sterile in cases with cerebral malaria. Thus the present study shows that bacteraemia is uncommon in adults with malaria compared to children of endemic areas. Presence of other co-existent infections should be sought in clinically suspected cases only. We propose a restrictive antibiotic policy in the setting of malaria.