ABSTRACT
The study set out to determine the presence of mosquito vectors of
malaria, prevalent Plasmodium species as well as some blood parameters
related to malaria pathology in some inhabitants of Aguowa community of Enugu
East Local Government Area of Enugu State, South-Eastern Nigeria. Adult
mosquitoes were sampled indoors using the indoor Pyrethrum Knockdown Collection
(PKC) method. Mosquito breeding sites were sampled for larvae. Venous blood
samples were collected by thumb prick using blood lancet, for the
identification of the various malaria parasites, the haemoglobin level and the
Packed Cell Volume. A total of 273 out of the 945 pupils of the only primary
school in the area were used for the study. The larvae of three species of
mosquitoes were identified as Aedes aegypti (9.3%), Aedes albopictus
(13.2%) and Culex quinquefasciatus (77.5%) Anopheles gambiae (1.1%),
Aedes aegypti (4.6%) and Culex quinquefasciatus (94.5%) were sampled
indoors using the Pyrethrum Knockdown Collection method. The prevalence
of the various species of malaria parasites were recorded as follows: Plasmodium
falciparum (50.6%), P.ovale (41.2%) and P.malariae (1.5%). The
overall prevalence of malaria parasitaemia in the community stood at 87.2%,
while the prevalence with respect to sex were 93.7% for males and 82.7% for
females. The prevalence for the various age groups were 4-6 years (88.7%), 7-9
years (93.3%), 10-12 years (89.6%) and 13-16 years (60.0%). The mean
haemoglobin level of 10.2g/dl and Packed Cell Volume (PCV) of 31.0% were below
the normal range of values. With a prevalence value of about 87.2%, it appears that
malaria is a serious public health issue in Aguowa. There is need therefore to
intensify efforts that will lead to reduction in the presence of malaria
vectors, and control of the parasite in Aguowa community.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0
INTRODUCTION
Malaria is an internationally
devastating disease and continues to be one of the most devastating infectious
diseases of our time, rivaling Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immune
Deficiency Disease Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and Tuberculosis as killer diseases in
tropical and subtropical regions (WHO, 2005) Figure 1. Around 3.2 billion
people are at risk of malarial attack each year, with around 500 million people
proceeding to clinical disease and 2-3 million deaths occurring (Snow et al,
2005). Over 90% of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa (WHO, 2005). The
burden of morbidity and mortality is biased towards young children, not yet
immuned to clinical symptoms (Snow et al, 2005) and pregnant women,
where parasites are sequestered in the placenta (Rowe and Keys, 2004).
In Africa, Anopheles
gambiae and An. melas breeding in sunlit habitats and An.
funestus in shades and An. phorensis in Upper Egypt and Sudan are
responsible for the transmission of malaria parasite. In Nigeria, Anopheles
gambiae complex, An. funestus and An. arabiensis have been
incriminated for malaria transmission with major impact (Oguoma and
Ikpeze, 2008) and Ekanem (1991).
The parasites that cause malarial
disease are protozoan organisms that also infect many animal species including
primates, lizards and birds. Four Plasmodium species are responsible for
human malaria: Plasmodium falciparum; P. vivax, P. ovale, and P.
malariae. Plasmodium falciparum is the most virulent parasite,
and is responsible for the majority of malaria – related mortality. It is found
in all malaria endemic regions of the world, and is the most common human
malaria parasite in Africa (WHO, 2005). Plasmodium vivax is rarely found in Africa, but it is the most common
species outside Africa (Mendis et al, 2001; Carter and Mendis, 2002).
Anaemia is a fairly common problem
encountered in malaria and it poses special problems in pregnancy and in
children. The easiest measures of anaemia are the haemoglobin and Packed Cell
Volume levels. The haematological parameters of the study community was
assessed using haemoglobin and Packed Cell Volume.
Aguowa community is a slum
with about 5000 inhabitants within Trans-Ekulu area of Enugu Metropolis,
Enugu-East Local Government Area of South-Eastern Nigeria. It is inhabited by
mostly farmers, artisans, students, traders and civil servants. There are no
pipe borne water, health, facilities, schools, tarred roads, with poor sanitary
conditions.
1.1 THE
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main objective of the study is to
sample mosquito vectors of malaria, determine the prevalent plasmodium
species in humans, as well as blood parameters related to malaria pathology in
some inhabitants of Aguowa community.
1.2 THE
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
A.
Entomological
i)
Larval survey of Anopheles mosquitoes.
ii)
Indoor survey of adult Anopheles
mosquitoes using the Pyrethrum Knockdown Collection (PKC) method.
iii)
Dissection of adult Anopheles mosquitoes
collected indoors to demonstrate the presence of sporozoites in the salivary
glands or gametocytes in the stomach.
i)
To determine the prevalence of infecting Plasmodium
species in the human community, through examination of blood films using both
thick and thin smears
C.
Haematology
i)
To estimate the Haemoglobin (Hb) level
ii)
To determine the packed cell volume (PCV) of
the inhabitants of Aguowa community
1.3 EXPECTATIONS
OF THE STUDY
This
study, if successfully completed is expected to provide information and data
on:
i)
The malaria vectors’ composition in the Aguowa
Community
ii)
The prevalence of the various species of
malaria parasites in some inhabitants of Aguowa community.
The level of haemoglobin and the packed cell volume in the inhabitants
of the community.For more Parasitology & Entomology Projects Click here
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