Differential Laboratory Diagnosis of Acute Fever in Guinea: Preparedness for the Threat of Hemorrhagic Fevers

Vladimir G Dedkov; N'Faly Magassouba; Olga A Stukolova; Victoria A Savina; Jakob Camara; Barrè Soropogui; Marina V Safonova; Pavel Semizhon; Alexander E Platonov

doi:10.3390/ijerph18116022

Differential Laboratory Diagnosis of Acute Fever in Guinea: Preparedness for the Threat of Hemorrhagic Fevers

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jun 3;18(11):6022. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18116022.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Pasteur Institute, Federal Service on Consumers' Rights Protection and Human Well-Being Surveillance, 197101 Saint Petersburg, Russia.
² Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119435 Moscow, Russia.
³ Laboratoire de Virologie, Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry, Projet de Recherche sur les Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, 001 B1568 Conakry, Guinea.
⁴ Central Research Institute for Epidemiology, Federal Service on Consumers' Rights Protection and Human Well-Being Surveillance, 111123 Moscow, Russia.
⁵ Anti-Plague Center, Federal Service on Consumers' Rights Protection and Human Well-Being Surveillance, 119121 Moscow, Russia.
⁶ The Republican Research and Practical Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, 220114 Minsk, Belarus.

Abstract

Acute febrile illnesses occur frequently in Guinea. Acute fever itself is not a unique, hallmark indication (pathognomonic sign) of any one illness or disease. In the infectious disease context, fever's underlying cause can be a wide range of viral or bacterial pathogens, including the Ebola virus. In this study, molecular and serological methods were used to analyze samples from patients hospitalized with acute febrile illness in various regions of Guinea. This analysis was undertaken with the goal of accomplishing differential diagnosis (determination of causative pathogen) in such cases. As a result, a number of pathogens, both viral and bacterial, were identified in Guinea as causative agents behind acute febrile illness. In approximately 60% of the studied samples, however, a definitive determination could not be made.

Keywords: Guinea; acute febrile illness; diagnostics; fever; zoonotic pathogens.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Clinical Laboratory Techniques*
Diagnosis, Differential
Fever* / diagnosis
Fever* / etiology
Guinea / epidemiology
Humans