Community Directed Screening to Identify Asymptomatic Malaria Reservoir of Plasmodium Falciparum in Nasarawa State, Nigeria
Abstract:
Asymptomatic malaria is
prevalent in highly endemic areas of Africa, with only a small percentage of
individuals exhibiting clinical symptoms. The clinical consequence of
asymptomatic malaria is not fully understood. Some researchers believe that
asymptomatic parasitaemia is involved in developing partial immunity and may
protect against clinical disease from new infections. This study therefore
determined the prevalence of asymptomatic reservoir of plasmodium falciparum
and the level of knowledge of malaria among the populace in Nasarawa state. A
community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among selected local
government areas of the state. The local government areas were observed to have
reported the highest positivity rate of malaria between 2017 to 2022. The study
was conducted from August 2022 to April 2023. A semi-structured questionnaire
was employed to collect socio-demographic data and other associated risk
factors by trained health professionals. Body temperature and different
clinical manifestations were examined to identify the asymptomatic individuals.
This examination was carried out after the selection of individuals from
households before mRDT was conducted. Data entry and analysis were carried out
using (SPSS, 20). The study indicates that the prevalence of asymptomatic
malaria parasitaemia among adults in Nasarawa state is 23.8%. It is evidenced
that malaria is endemic in Nasarawa state. This study, therefore, recommends
continuous awareness of malaria, control measures, and environmental sanitation
to control further transmission of malaria in the state.
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