Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Borrelia spp. in Febrile Patients in Kwara State, Nigeria: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63561/jhssr.v3i1.1141Keywords:
Borrelia, Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever, Prevalence, Febrile Illness, Kwara StateAbstract
Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF), caused by various species of Borrelia bacterium, is a significant yet neglected public health threat in Africa. This hospital-based cross-sectional study determined the prevalence of Borrelia spp. in febrile patients across three hospitals in three senatorial regions of Kwara State, Nigeria, from January to November 2024, and assessed associated risk factors. A total of 150 blood samples were collected (50 per hospital: General Hospital Offa [semi-urban], Cottage Hospital Tsaragi [rural], and Sobi Specialist Hospital Ilorin [urban]) and analyzed using culture technique method in Barbour-Stoenner-Kelly medium. The overall prevalence was 6.0% (9/150) and prevalence varied significantly (p=0.04) by location, with the highest rate at the Cottage Hospital Tsaragi (Kwara North region: rural) (12.0%), followed by General Hospital Offa (Kwara South region: semi-urban) (4.0%) and the Sobi Specialist Hospital Ilorin (Kwara Central region: urban) (2.0%). Demographic factors like sex and age were not significantly associated with infection. The predominance of non-specific symptoms like fever (91.3%) and headache (70.0%) complicates clinical diagnosis. These findings indicate a heightened risk of Borrelia infection in rural, livestock-farming communities of Kwara North region, underscoring its role as a cause of undifferentiated febrile illness. This necessitates enhanced surveillance, improved diagnostic capacity, and targeted public health interventions in endemic areas of Nigeria.
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