Journal of Applied Biosciences (J. Appl. Biosci.) [ISSN 1997 - 5902]
Volume 29: 1774 - 1780. Published May 10, 2010.
Malaria parasitaemia among patients in Ibadan, Southwestern Nigeria
Okonko I.O 1*, Donbraye-Emmanuel O.O.B 2, Donbraye E 3, Abubakar M.J 4, Fowotade A 5, Fadeyi A 5, Babalola E.T 6, Ojezele M.O 7 and Adeyi A.O 8
1 Department of Virology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria; 2 Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria; 3 Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Ile-Ife, Nigeria; 4 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; 5 Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria; 6 Department of Microbiology, College of Applied Sciences, Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State, Nigeria; 7 Department of Nursing Science, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria; 8 Department of Microbiology/Biochemistry, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, 8Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger, Nigeria;
*Corresponding author e-mail: mac2finney@yahoo.comABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia caused by Plasmodium falciparum between ages and genders among patients in Ibadan city, southwestern Nigeria.
Methodology and results: Two hundred (200) patients attending University College Hospital in Ibadan, comprising 95 males and 105 females (ages 0.7-109 years; mean age = 31.2 years) were examined for malaria parasites using 3% Giemsa stained thick and thin films. The study was carried out between March, 2009 and July, 2009, a period characterized by peak rainy season, but no significant seasonal variation was noted. Of the 200 samples examined, 100 were Plasmodium slide-positive indicating an overall prevalence of 50%. The findings show that malaria parasitaemia and intensity are dependent on age and sex, but there was no significant difference in the ages and sex of the patients studied (P>0.05). Of the 105 samples from females, 58 (55.2%) were positive for malaria parasitaemia while 42 (44.2%) of the samples from 95 males were positive for malaria parasitaemia showing a higher prevalence of malaria parasitaemia in females than their male counterparts. Higher prevalence was noted in age-groups >46 years, 20/36 (55.6%)] and 16-30years [36/69 (52.1%)]. The age-specific profiles of malaria prevalence in younger infants (<4 years of age) were much higher (66.7%) than those observed in older children (5-9 years and 10-14 years of age) having 44.4 and 35.7% prevalence rates respectively. It showed that children >4years were more infected compared to persons >5 years of age, irrespective of season.
Conclusion and application of findings: The study showed that a substantial number people in Ibadan were infested by malaria parasites. This could be attributed to lack of appropriate accommodation and poor sanitary conditions in the area of study. Although there were several limitations to this study, the results can contribute to national efforts towards reducing the malaria burden in local hospitals. These findings can represent the situation in many hospitals in Nigeria. The findings of this study will be valuable as a public health tool for planning, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of malaria interventions.
Keywords: Malaria, interventions, microscopy, plasmodium, thin and thick films
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