Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract ELIC2025449 (Poster 080) | Published: 04 Aug 2025
Abiodun Feyikemi Ipadeola1,&, Onyema Lazarus Omenyi1, Olatunji Matthew Kolawole2
1Datametrics Associates Ltd, Abuja, Nigeria, 2University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
&Corresponding author: Abiodun Feyikemi Ipadeola, Datametrics Associates Ltd, Abuja, Nigeria, Email: feyikemi.ipadeola2022@gmail.com
Received: 31 May 2025, Accepted: 09 Jun 2025, Published: 04 Aug 2025
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Lassa fever, Arbovirus, Co-infection, Diagnosis, Multi-pathogen testing, Case fatality rate
©Abiodun Feyikemi Ipadeola et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: MAbiodun Feyikemi Ipadeola et al., Unravelling the impact of the intersecting epidemics of Lassa fever, malaria, and arbovirus co-infections in Nigeria: A review of literature. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(ConfProc5):00224. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO5-00224
Despite improved surveillance and case management practices, the case fatality rate (CFR) from Lassa fever (LF) remains high in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries. Factors such as poor health-seeking behavior, denial, and stigma have been known to delay treatment initiation, thereby increasing fatality from LF. However, LF co-infection with malaria and arboviruses such as yellow fever (YF) and dengue, which are now occurring at epidemic thresholds in Nigeria, is poorly investigated. This study reviewed existing literature to determine the possible occurrence of LF, malaria, and arboviral co-infection.
The review focused on literature published between 2015 and 2025 from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological approach was adopted. Papers were selected following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework. We identified 70 articles and screened them down to 15 for final review.
LF- malaria, LF-YF, and LF- Dengue coinfection have been reported in Nigeria. Akhuemokhan et al. (2017) found that 30.8% of children with Lassa virus disease (LVD) also had malaria parasitemia. Animasaun et al. (2025) reported a single Lassa virus and dengue virus co-infection in Oyo State, Nigeria. Okwuraiwe et al. (2022) reported a single YF and LF co-infection in Ondo State, Nigeria. Cadmus et al. (2025) and the LASCOPE study reported that fever and digestive symptoms such as vomiting and abdominal pain were frequent in LF cases, suggesting possible malaria and arboviral coinfections. Triple co-infections involving LF, malaria, and arboviruses have not been documented. Multi-pathogen testing of fever cases is carried out for research purposes only.
Co-infections involving LF, malaria, and arboviruses are not routinely investigated in Nigeria, and may be responsible for high fatality from LF. Establishing a multi-pathogen testing for fever in LF endemic countries would improve detection and management of comorbidities that may impact fatality from LF.
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