Solving Mystery Fevers in Bamako: A New Tool for Doctors

In Bamako, Mali, figuring out why people have unexplained fevers is tough. Diseases like malaria, HIV, and yellow fever often overlap. A recent study tried to uncover the reasons behind these fevers. The study included people of all ages with high temperatures. Doctors collected basic information and used rapid tests, a method called reverse transcriptase PCR, and tests like ELISA. They also used a special tool called VirCapSeq-VERT, which helps find viruses in the body. Out of 108 people studied, most were boys (51. 9%) and kids under 15 (56. 5%). Measles virus was the most common cause of fever (39. 8%), especially in children. Other causes included malaria parasites (12%), Salmonella bacteria (13%), and the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (8. 7%). The special virus tool, VirCapSeq-VERT, was used for 101 people. It backed up many routine test results and found more cases of measles and COVID-19, as well as other viruses. Almost everyone (90%) had evidence of herpesviruses, and nearly all (98%) had anelloviruses. No dangerous bleeding viruses were seen. With the new virus tool, doctors found a cause for the fever in 79. 6% of cases. That leaves 20. 4% without a clear answer. Many people (41. 5%) had more than one type of virus or bacteria at the same time. Adding this new tool to regular tests helps find more causes of high fevers. It can be very useful in places with limited resources.