Browsing by Author "Alamerew, Desta"

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    Prevalence and Determinants of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Malaria
    (Addis Abeba Universty, 1989-05) Alamerew, Desta; Okubagzhi, Gebreselassie(PhD)
    A cross-sectional study was carried out to examine the interrelationship of a ge, sex, nutr i t ional s tatus and the effect of residing i n malarious areas, \~ith the development of malaria infection with and without symptoms. The study population consisted of 2,708 individual s from Pawi resettlement area, of whom 1,513 (55.87 %) were chi l dren under the age of 5 years and the rest 1,195 (44.13 %) above the age of 5 years. Symptomat.ic mala r i a , defined as fever plus shivering or sweating , coupled with a positive smear for malaria parasite had a prevalence of 10 . 2 %. Asymptomat.ic malar i a, defined as a positive smear for ma l aria, with none of the above symptoms had a preval e nce of 7.0 %. The overa ll prevalence of malaria was significantl y lower during inf ancy (9 %) and higher in the second year of life (22 %), P = 0 . 0001. Similarly the preva lence of symptomatic malaria was significantly lower (4 %) during 1nfancy and hig he r (14 %) i n chi ldren 1n the second year of 1 ife, P = 0.001. No significant. var iati on vli t h age 1n the prevalence of a symptomatic mal aria was observed. No s ign iflcant association between age, sex , nut r it 10na l status of chi ldren or res idence in malarious areas with the proportion of ma l arl a infectlon with and without symptoms was detected . Child ren in the second year o f life were identified as hav i ng hi ghe r risk of clinical malaria therefore due attention should be paid to provide them wi th facilit i es fo r ea rly diagnosis and treatment. The study also sugges t.s that re l atively short experience, in areas with high transmission of malaria ma y lead to th e development of certain level o f protective immunity against the disease.