Epidemiology of Malaria in Nise Community, Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of malaria in the area with reference to location, sex and age; mosquito vectors and the Plasmodium specie responsible for the transmission of malaria in the area, as well as the reliability of two diagnostic methods: rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and microscopy for determining malaria parasitemia.

Materials and Methods: The study design was a community-based descriptive, quantitative, cross-sectional household survey, while the data collected were statistically analyzed using chi-square (x2) test. Three hundred (300) individuals (124 males and 176 females) were examined for malaria parasitaemia using standard parasitological and haematological procedures.

Results: Overall prevalence of malaria parasitaemia was 28.33%, but prevalence varied with location, sex and age. Prevalence of malaria parasitaemia was higher in Isiakpu (33.82%) and lowest in Umuazu (24.44%), but was not statistically significant (X2 =0.665; P>0.05). Prevalence of malaria parasitaemia was significantly higher in females (34.09%) than in males (20.16%) (X2 = 0.008; P<0.05). Prevalence of malaria parasitaemia was 43.33% in 41-50 years and 15.79% in 21-30 years age group. Difference in prevalence among the age groups was not significant (X2 = 0.181, P>0.05). Prevalence of malaria was significantly higher with microscopy (28.33%) than in RDT (12.67%) (X2 = 0.000, P<0.05). Microscopy method was more reliable than RDT as revealed in this study. Plasmodium falciparum was the only species of Plasmodium identified in the study area, while Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (12 species collected) was the commonest mosquito species identified as responsible for transmission of malaria in the community. Other non-malaria vectors encountered during mosquito sampling include: Aedes aegypti (1) and Culex quinquefasciatus (15)

Conclusions: Study revealed that Nise is mesoendemic for malaria. Use of Long Lasting Insecticidal Treated Nets (LLITNs), campaign on Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) by the government, at least every two years to reduce the vector population, as well as the Use of Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACTs) as the first drug of choice should be sustained.