Prevalence of Malaria Parasitaemia and Its Association with ABO Blood Grouping among Students of Igbinedion University Okada, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate ABO blood groups association with malaria parasitaemia among students of Igbinedion University, Okada located in Mid-Western Nigeria. Two milliliters (2ml) of venous blood was collected by venipuncture using 5ml hypodermic needles and syringes from 104 asymptomatic malaria students between March and June 2012. Blood samples were immediately dispensed into Ethylene Diamine Tetra-Acetic acid (EDTA) anticoagulated containers and mixed appropriately. ABO blood typing using monoclonal Antisera A, B and D was carried out on samples. The malaria Plasmodium falciparum rapid Test Device (whole blood) package insert kit (BDH, England) was used to test for the presence of malaria parasites in the specimens. The 104 samples analyzed were made up of 24(23.1%) rhesus positive males, 76(73.0%) rhesus positive females and 4(3.9%) rhesus negative females. In increasing order, 4(3.9%), 16(15.4%), 32(30.8%) and 52(50.0%) students occurred in blood groups AB, A, B and O respectively. Forty (38.4%) of total group O subjects were infected with various densities of malaria trophozoites. Out of 32 blood group B individuals representing 30.8% of the total sampled students, 24(23.1%) were infected. All sampled 4(3.9%) AB students were infected. On the whole, 80(76.8%) of total samples processed, were positive for malaria parasitaemia. Twelve (11.5%) and 68(65.4%) of total male and female subjects were infected. Malaria parasitaemia seemed to be relatively high across all blood groups with groups O and AB subjects apparently recording the highest and least infection rates

Prevalence of malaria parasites among blood donors in Kaduna, Nigeria

“…Similar conclusions have been made by previous researchers. 7,19,20 The low levels of parasitaemia with an average density of 126 parasites/µl recorded among the infected donors is similar to the values of between 10-400 parasites/µl and 285 parasites/µl of blood average reported by Chigozie JU et al and Aina OO et al respectively. 21,22 This is higher than the density of 20 obtained by Garba DD et al . However, other studies have reported higher densities of 10,000 -250,000 parasites/µl of blood.…”

“…3 The higher prevalence rate observed for the females in this study is in concordance with the findings of several other researchers. 19,20,23,26,27,28 This is also consistent with the assertion that females are more vulnerable to this disease in Africa. 29 The reason for higher prevalence among the females may be a reflection of differences in disease susceptibility or reporting.…”

Plasmodium Malaria and ABO Blood Group among Blood Donors in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

“…This finding agrees with Muntaka and Opoku-Okrah but at variance with Otajevwo who reported that more females were infected than males among students of Igbinedion University Okada, Nigeria [32,33]. The fact that more male subjects 80.4% presented as donors than females (19.6%) and the reason for this discrepancy which had been explained by Bani and Giussani's who stated that gender plays key role in the motivation to give blood may explain the reason for the variation in the prevalence of infection among this population [34].…”

Prevalence of Malaria Parasite among Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Students of Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State

“…Regardless of the soaring malaria incidence in endemic regions, a certain group of individuals seem to have more immunity to malaria than others. This could be accounted by several factors including haemoglobin vari-ants, ABO blood group system and enzyme action, among others [5].…”