ASYMPTOMATIC MALARIA IN AGULERI COMMUNITY, ANAMBRA STATE.

Abstract

Till date Nigeria still carries the highest burden of malaria globally. The sustenance of the disease in the country could be due to the fact that there
are asymptomatic individuals that act as reservoir host. This study determined the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria in Aguleri community
during the low transmission season. Random sampling technique was applied in this study. This study was carried out during early January which
was during the dry season. All individuals of both sexes, residing in the study location who presented themselves were consented and included in
the study. Venous blood was collected in EDTA bottles after administration of informed consent. Rapid Diagnostic test (RDT) and malaria
microscopy was done on the samples collected. Thick and thin lms were prepared on the same slide and stained with 3% Giemsa working solution.
The study included 195 participants which consisted a total of 105(54.1%) males and 89 (45.9%) females from community who consented to the
study. The malaria prevalence for the study was 9.8%. Microscopy prevalence among different age groups included 0-5 years, 2(10.5%); >5-10
years, 9(47.4%); >10-15, 7(36.8%); >15-20 years, 0(0%), >20 years, 1 (5.3%). Infected individuals were all single species infection of
Plasmodium falciparum alone with parasitaemia ranging from 63 – 13,084 with a gross mean parasite density (GMPD) of 953. The stages of the
parasite found were 4(21.1%) for gametocytes only, 14(73.7%) for trophozoites only and 1(5.3%) for throphozoites and gametocyte stages. This
study conrms asymptomatic malaria cases even during low transmission period in Aguleri comunity, Anambra state.