Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum and Haemoglobin Genotype Distribution among Malaria Patients in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Background and Aim: Malaria remains a disease of public health concern in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. It has caused the death of millions of people; especially pregnant women and children in sub-Saharan Africa. This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum and haemoglobin genotype distribution among malaria patients in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.

Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out in which 300 consenting participants were enrolled; blood samples were collected from them and screened for Plasmodium falciparum using Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and microscopy for confirmation. Bio-data and other relevant information were obtained using structured questionnaire and analyzed statistically. The haemoglobin (Hb) genotypes of all the malaria positive patients were determined.

Results: A total prevalence of 21.7% was obtained in this study. Malaria prevalence was higher (29.1%) in participants who were not using insecticides at home compared to those who were using insecticide at home (17.4%). The P value was significant and the odds ratio showed a significant positive association (p=0.018, OR=0.512, CI=0.294-0.894). Participants with HbAA genotype had the highest percentage of malaria 76.9% (50/65), followed by those with HbAS 18.5% (12/65), HbAC 3.1% (2/65) and HbSS 1.5% (1/65) having the least.

Conclusion: Apparently, the use of insecticides to kill mosquitoes around the home helps to reduce malaria prevalence. The haemoglobin genotypes HbAS, HbAC and HbSS may be protective against the development of malaria, as their percentages in this study were relatively low compared to HbAA.j