ASSESSMENT OF MALARIA PARASITEMIA AND GENOTYPE RELATIONSHIP OF PATIENTS ATTENDING TERTIARY HEALTH CARE CENTRE IN KATSINA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Malaria parasitemia and genotype of patients attending Tertiary Medical Center, in Katsina State was assessed. A total of 400 samples were collected from consented patients through venipuncture techniques. The blood samples were processed within 3 to 6 hours of collection. Using blood samples Infection status and genotype were screened using standard techniques. Their demographic characteristics were determined using questionnaires. Chi-square test was used to determine the degree of relationship between malarial parasite infection and genotype. Out of 400 consented patients examined, 193 patients (48.3%) were affected by malaria at varying degree of parasitemia. According to the gender, the prevalence of malaria was found to be (48.3%) among female respondents compared to their male counterparts with 48.1%(P>0.05). The results further showed that the subjects with normal genotypes are significantly more infected compared to those with S- gene. The occurrence of malarial infection among the participants with normal (AA) genotype is comparatively higher (53.8%) compared to the carrier (AS) participants with 41.7% and those with sickle cell disease (SS) having the least with 33.3%. Conclusively people with AS and SS genotype have more genetic advantage toward resistance to Malarial parasite infection. However, more scientific reasons require further elucidation.

Keywords

• Plasmodium falciparum
• Malaria
• parasitemia
• genotype
• gender