Studies on Plasmodium falciparum Infection Rates among Children (≤10 years of age) attending Federal Medical Centre Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

 

Manyi, M. M., Aernan, P. T. and Obilikwu, E.
 

 

Full Length Research Paper I Published October, 2018

 

Journal of Medical and Biological Science Research Vol. 4 (3), pp. 76-81.

 

ABSTRACT

 

Child malaria remains a vital concern in Nigeria, especially amongst children with little or no access to the use of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs). A total of 300 randomly selected children aged 0-10 years, comprising 134 males and 166 females, were investigated in a study at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, Nigeria to determine the infection rates of malaria parasites from August to November 2017. Thick and thin blood films were prepared using standard techniques and examined for the presence of Plasmodium species. The overall infection rate was found to be 68.7% and all cases observed were due to Plasmodium falciparum. The study has revealed a high rate of Plasmodium falciparum infection (68.7%) among the children (≤10 years) in the study area. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in the infection rates between Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) users (33.8%) and non-ITNs users (60.7%). Based on our findings, it was concluded that the rate of Plasmodium falciparum infection was higher among the younger children and those whose parents did not use ITNs to protect them against mosquito bites than the older ones, and those who were protected under ITNs. The epidemiological and public health implications of the findings have been discussed.

Key words: Malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, Children, Makurdi, Nigeria.

Full Text-PDF