Prevalence of Typhoid Fever in Franceville (Gabon): Case of the Sino-Gabonese Friendship Hospital; Retrospective Analysis of Clinical Data Over Three Years

Abstract

Typhoid fever is an infectious disease that is fatal if left untreated. The most recent global data show more than 20 million cases annually, with more than 200,000 deaths. In Gabon, a study has shown that young adults are increasingly affected. Nevertheless, national data on this scourge are rare. The aim is to determine the prevalence of typhoid fever at the Sino-Gabonese Friendship Hospital in Franceville. The data are confirmed cases of typhoid fever at the Sino-Gabonese Friendship Hospital in Franceville, entered into a database of the health information management system of the South-East Franceville Gabon Regional Health Directorate between January 2018 and December 2020. A trend analysis was conducted over time to establish correlations between the prevalence of typhoid fever and factors such as age, gender and time of year. To statistically analyze these data, measure incidence rates, and establish relationships between these values and their significance, we used R version 3.6.1 software. 2175 people suffered from typhoid fever during the three years of the study. Of these, 960 (44.07%) were men and 1215 (55.93%) were women. A 95% confidence interval was estimated and a value p≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. The age group 15-49 years was the most affected. Although cases occurred throughout the year, there were increasing cases of typhoid from 2018 to 2020 and a high prevalence during quarters 1 and 4. The prevalence over the years was 454 cases or 20.87% in 2018, 750 cases or 34.48% in 2019, and 971 cases or 44.65% in 2020. In Gabon, particularly in Franceville, typhoid fever is a real public health problem. To protect themselves against this disease and avoid possible epidemics, the health authorities and decision-makers must educate the population about the disease.