The impact of haemoglobin level and concomitant infections on malaria parasitaemia and on-set of fever during malaria attack in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

A five month study (April-August, 2001) was carried out in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State to ascertain the impact of haemoglobin level and concomitant infections on malaria parasitaemia and the on-set of fever during malaria attack. Two sets of subjects were used; the clinically-ill and non-clinically ill. The clinically-ill were those who reported ill with the usual symptoms of fever, headache, chills and joint pains at the clinic of the National Root crop Research Institute Umudike, which serves all patients from the whole Local Government Area. The non-clinically ill where students of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike who were not apparently ill. Two hundred and five of the clinically ill subjects and 300 of the other group were examined for malaria parasitaemia using Thick Blood Film Method, while their haemoglobin were estimated using Colorimeter Method. The result revealed that malaria prevalence was high for both groups, although the clinically ill showed a significantly (p The Nigerian Journal of Parasitology Vol. 24 2003: 25-32