Studying Dengue Fever in West Africa

A team of scientists has determined that dengue is being misdiagnosed as malaria in Ghana, and possibly elsewhere in Africa. By Marie Guma Diaz - UM News CORAL GABLES, Fla. (March 02, 2015) — Misdiagnosis of febrile illnesses as malaria is a continuing problem in Africa. A new study shows that in Ghana, dengue fever is circulating in urban areas and going undiagnosed. The authors of the study hope to use the findings to launch a widespread initiative to better understand acute undifferentiated febrile illnesses in West Africa. "We believe dengue to be one of many diseases with classic fever and headache symptoms that are currently being misdiagnosed as malaria on a massive scale," said Justin Stoler, assistant professor of Geography in the University of Miami 's College of Arts and Sciences, and lead investigator of the study. "The over-prescribing of anti-malarials puts evolutionary pressure on the malaria parasite that risks hastening its resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapy-the frontline drugs used to treat malaria in Africa," Stoler said.