Abstract

Malaria remains a major public health problem in Nigeria where it is endemic, especially in rural populations as is the case elsewhere in Africa, it causes significant human suffering and impacts on social and economic development. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and severity of malaria parasitaemia in adult individuals caused by P. falciparum and to determine the effects of anti-malaria drugs on some blood cell line parameters. 202 confirmed malaria infected patients were recruited for the study between the ages of 15 – 64 years of both sexes at the general outpatient clinic of the Federal Medical Centre, Ido-Ekiti, Nigeria. 4ml of blood sample was collected twice from the same patient before and after taking anti-malaria drug for blood cell lines analysis. Malaria parasite detection, malaria parasite count and malaria parasite species identification were determined. All the subjects were infected with Plasmodium falciparum specie; 129(63.9%) were males and 73(36.1%) were females. In pre anti-malaria drug treatment group, mean ± SD of relative and absolute neutrophil 60.18 ± 9.41 and 4.16 ± 1.69 respectively in age group A were higher compared to other age groups, the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05) except in relative neutrophil. Changes in the white blood cell lines are less dramatic in adult individuals infected with acute uncomplicated malaria; proper malaria control strategies targeted at the less immune age group especially young adult and aging will likely reduce the burden of malaria resulting in greater clinical and haematological benefits.

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