Study of Plasmodium Infection among Primary School Children in Lafia Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Malaria is a major cause of poverty in developing nations, particularly in tropical regions. This study sought to ascertain the present prevalence of malaria among primary school children in Lafia Local Government Area (LGA), Nasarawa State, Nigeria. A total of 204 venous blood samples were collected from consenting primary school children. The blood samples were analyzed parasitologically by thin and thick blood films as well as Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) methods. Of the 204 school children examined, 75.9% were found positive for Plasmodium infection. The prevalence of Plasmodium infection in relation to sexes of the pupils from Agyaragu (peri-urban settlement) and Lafia (urban settlement) schools showed no significant difference (P=0.688). Generally, children aged 15-17 years old were significantly (P<0.0001) more infected with Plasmodium parasites in this study. The RDT showed more positive cases than microscopy test of blood samples obtained from primary school children. The PCV values between infected and uninfected school children in each school showed no significant difference (Agyaragu: P=0.8503; Lafia: P=0.2038). In conclusion, the RDT is a complementary technique to microscopy, most especially in areas that may be lacking a trained microscopist. The parents of the pupils should ensure that they key into the practice of integrated control strategies such as the use of insecticide treated bed netsso as to drastically lower malaria prevalence among these young population in the research area.