High Malaria Prevalence among Schoolchildren on Kome Island, Tanzania.
10.3347/kjp.2015.53.5.571
- Author:
Min Jae KIM
1
;
Bong Kwang JUNG
;
Jong Yil CHAI
;
Keeseon S EOM
;
Tai Soon YONG
;
Duk Young MIN
;
Julius E SIZA
;
Godfrey M KAATANO
;
Josephat KUBOZA
;
Peter MNYESHI
;
John M CHANGALUCHA
;
Yunsuk KO
;
Su Young CHANG
;
Han Jong RIM
Author Information
1. Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea. cjy@snu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Brief Communication
- Keywords:
Plasmodium falciparum;
Plasmodium vivax;
malaria;
high prevalence;
schoolchildren;
Kome Island (Victoria Lake);
Tanzania
- MeSH:
Blood/parasitology;
Child;
Coinfection/epidemiology/parasitology;
Cross-Sectional Studies;
Female;
Humans;
Malaria/*epidemiology/parasitology;
Male;
Microscopy;
Plasmodium falciparum/*isolation & purification;
Plasmodium vivax/*isolation & purification;
Prevalence;
Tanzania/epidemiology;
Topography, Medical
- From:The Korean Journal of Parasitology
2015;53(5):571-574
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
In order to determine the status of malaria among schoolchildren on Kome Island (Lake Victoria), near Mwanza, Tanzania, a total of 244 schoolchildren in 10 primary schools were subjected to a blood survey using the fingerprick method. The subjected schoolchildren were 123 boys and 121 girls who were 6-8 years of age. Only 1 blood smear was prepared for each child. The overall prevalence of malaria was 38.1% (93 positives), and sex difference was not remarkable. However, the positive rate was the highest in Izindabo Primary School (51.4%) followed by Isenyi Primary School (48.3%) and Bugoro Primary School (46.7%). The lowest prevalence was found in Muungano Primary School (16.7%) and Nyamiswi Primary School (16.7%). These differences were highly correlated with the location of the school on the Island; those located in the peripheral area revealed higher prevalences while those located in the central area showed lower prevalences. Plasmodium falciparum was the predominant species (38.1%; 93/244), with a small proportion of them mixed-infected with Plasmodium vivax (1.6%; 4/244). The results revealed that malaria is highly prevalent among primary schoolchildren on Kome Island, Tanzania, and there is an urgent need to control malaria in this area.
