Molecular evidence of co-circulation of different dengue virus serotypes associated with malaria co-infection among febrile children in Libreville, Gabon
International Journal of Infectious Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ijid.2026.108497
- PMID
- 41722758
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- W7130543615
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The authors highlight the need to strengthen differential diagnostic approaches and surveillance strategies for acute febrile illnesses in urban Gabon, given overlapping clinical presentations and co-endemicity of dengue and malaria.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study assessed the molecular prevalence of selected arboviral infections and arboviral–malaria co-infections, together with related epidemiological and hematological features, among febrile children in Libreville, Gabon.
Study design
Retrospective molecular analysis of stored plasma samples from febrile children at a single malaria sentinel surveillance site, screened by pan-DENV, CHIKV and ZIKV RT-qPCR, with additional serotype-specific and pan-flavivirus PCR for positives and microscopy-based malaria diagnosis.
Population and setting
151 febrile children presenting to a malaria sentinel surveillance site in Libreville, Gabon, sampled between September and October 2022.
Main findings
DENV RNA was detected in 18.5% of patients, with serotyping indicating DENV-1 and DENV-3 circulation and a possible DENV-4 signal; no CHIKV or ZIKV was detected. Malaria prevalence was 56.9%, and 9.3% of children had dengue–malaria co-infection. Dengue cases were reported to predominate in children, and the authors interpret the findings as evidence of active DENV circulation and dengue–malaria co-endemicity in urban Libreville.
Public-health relevance
The authors highlight the need to strengthen differential diagnostic approaches and surveillance strategies for acute febrile illnesses in urban Gabon, given overlapping clinical presentations and co-endemicity of dengue and malaria.
Important limitations
Explicit limitations are not stated in the supplied abstract. This summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract and bibliographic metadata and should be supplemented with the full text for decision-grade interpretation.
GIDS interpretation
Indexed under dengue and malaria with a Gabon country tag, this peer-reviewed article is discoverable through GIDS as a diagnostics- and surveillance-focused study from an urban Central African setting; the supplied evidence does not connect the paper to any live surveillance signal.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 13 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.