FREQUENCY AND SEASONAL VARIATION OF PLASMODIUM SPECIES IN SOUTHERN DISTRICTS OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA

Seasonal Variation of Plasmodium Species

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of malaria and seasonal variation of Plasmodium species in southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Study design: Descriptive study.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pathology Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Bannu, from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2011.
Patients and Methods: Five thousand eight hundred and seventy eight (5878) patients with symptoms of fever, nausea, malaise and body aches irrespective of age and gender were included in the study. Samples were collected, thin and thick smears of the samples were prepared and stained with Giemsa`s stain. Thick film was used for screening for malarial parasites and species identification was done on thin smears.
Results: Out of 5878 patients, 1692 (28.8%) were found to be positive for malaria. Of them 1524 (90%) had Plasmodium vivax infection, while 119 (7.0%) patients were infected with Plasmodium falciparum, 49 (3.0%) of the patients were infected with both Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum. Plasmodium vivax was most common in the months of August 203 (12.3%) patients, September 235 (14.3%) patients and October 317 (20%), whereas Plasmodium falciparum infection was most common in the months of October 34 (28.6%) patients, November 19 (16%) patients and December 30 (25.2%) patients.
Conclusion: Malaria is an endemic infectious disease in Pakistan, in the Southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas of North and South Waziristan. It is prevalent throughout the year and most noticeably from May to November.