Zoonotic causes of febrile illness in malaria endemic countries: a systematic review

• Published in: The Lancet infectious diseases Vol. 20; no. 2; pp. e27 - e37
• Main Authors: Halliday, Jo E B, Carugati, Manuela, Snavely, Michael E, Allan, Kathryn J, Beamesderfer, Julia, Ladbury, Georgia A F, Hoyle, Deborah V, Holland, Paul, Crump, John A, Cleaveland, Sarah, Rubach, Matthew P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2020; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Animals; Bacterial Infections - epidemiology; Bacterial Infections - pathology; Bias; Child; Child, Preschool; Classification; Data collection; Disease control; Endemic Diseases; Epidemics; Epidemiology; Female; Fever; Fever - epidemiology; Fever - etiology; Full text; Health care; Helminthiasis - epidemiology; Helminthiasis - pathology; Humans; Illnesses; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infectious diseases; Keywords; Laboratories; Malaria; Male; Middle Aged; Mortality; Pathogens; Population; Protozoa; Protozoan Infections - epidemiology; Protozoan Infections - pathology; Salmonella; Subject heading schemes; Syntax; Vector-borne diseases; Virus Diseases - epidemiology; Virus Diseases - pathology; Young Adult; Zoonoses; Zoonoses - epidemiology; Zoonoses - pathology; Kenya; United States > US
• ISSN: 1473-3099; 1474-4457; 1474-4457
• DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(19)30629-2

Fever is one of the most common reasons for seeking health care globally and most human pathogens are zoonotic. We conducted a systematic review to describe the occurrence and distribution of zoonotic causes of human febrile illness reported in malaria endemic countries. We included data from 53 (48·2%) of 110 malaria endemic countries and 244 articles that described diagnosis of 30 zoonoses in febrile people. The majority (17) of zoonoses were bacterial, with nine viruses, three protozoa, and one helminth also identified. Leptospira species and non-typhoidal salmonella serovars were the most frequently reported pathogens. Despite evidence of profound data gaps, this Review reveals widespread distribution of multiple zoonoses that cause febrile illness. Greater understanding of the epidemiology of zoonoses in different settings is needed to improve awareness about these pathogens and the management of febrile illness.