Community Prevalence of Fever and Relationship with Malaria Among Infants and Children in Low-Resource Areas

Namrata Prasad Centre for International Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Department of Pathology, University of Otago Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand

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Katrina J. Sharples Centre for International Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Department of Pathology, University of Otago Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand

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David R. Murdoch Centre for International Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Department of Pathology, University of Otago Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand

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John A. Crump Centre for International Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Department of Pathology, University of Otago Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand

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We used Demographic and Health Survey data to describe the 2-week period prevalence of fever, cough, and diarrhea among children aged < 5 years in low-resources areas. We then explored the relationship between prevalence of isolated fever and national malaria risk. Fever and isolated fever occurred in 26.7% and 7.0% of children, respectively, and was not fully explained by malaria.

Author Notes

* Address correspondence to John A. Crump, Centre for International Health, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand. E-mail: john.crump@otago.ac.nz

Financial support: JAC was supported by the joint U.S. National Institutes of Health–National Science Foundation Ecology of Infectious Disease program (R01TW009237), the U.K. Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) (BB/J010367/1) the U.K. BBSRC Zoonoses and Emerging Livestock Systems Initiative (BB/L017679, BB/L018926/1 and BB/L018845).

Authors' addresses: Namrata Prasad and John A. Crump, Centre for International Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, E-mails: nam.p@me.com and john.crump@otago.ac.nz. Katrina J. Sharples, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, E-mail: katrina.sharples@otago.ac.nz. David R. Murdoch, Department of Pathology, University of Otago, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand, E-mail: david.murdoch@otago.ac.nz.

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