Prevalence and Determinants of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Malaria
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Date
1989-05
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Addis Abeba Universty
Abstract
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.
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Keywords
Prevalence and Determinants of Symptomatic