SEASONAL VARIATIONS OF VIVAX AND FALCIPARUM MALARIA: AN OBSERVATION AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL
Abstract
Background: Malaria is a major public health problem in the malaria endemic zones of the world.Various factors influence the prevalence of malaria. This study was conducted to determine the
variation in frequency of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum malaria in different
seasons of the year in Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar. Methods: A total of 411 patients
were included in the study. All these febrile patients were reported to have trophozoites of either
Plasmodium vivax or Plasmodium falciparum malaria on Giemsa stained thick and thin smears.
The frequency of vivax and falciparum malaria was worked out and statistically analysed for
different season of the year. The study was carried out from 2nd Jan 2004 till 31st December 2008.
Results: Out of total 411 diagnosed malaria cases, total 134 (32.60%) presented in the autumn
season (vivax=33.58%, and falciparum=66.42%), 37 (9%) in winter season (vivax=32.4%, and
falciparum=67.6%), 76 (18.49%) in spring season (vivax=93.4% and falciparum 6.6%) and 164
(39.90%) in summer season (vivax=89.6, and falciparum=10.4%). The malaria showed a highly
significant pattern in different seasons of the year (p=0.00) in a way that Plasmodium falciparum
malaria reached its highest frequency in autumn and winter seasons while Plasmodium vivax
malaria reached its peak frequency in spring and summer seasons. Conclusion: There was highly
significant seasonal variation of vivax and falciparum malaria. There is arrival of Plasmodium
falciparum in autumn which peaks in winter followed by arrival of Plasmodium vivax in spring till
the end of summer.
Keywords: Malaria, Falciparum, Vivax, Peshawar
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