Malaria prevalence and In vitro susceptibility of <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> isolates to selected antimalarial agents in Bauchi, Nigeria

Abstract

Malaria has been reported to be a high bio burden disease in sub-Sahara African Countries. About 50% has been associated with at least one episode of malaria while children were reported with two or four episodes. This study reports the prevalence of malaria and susceptibility pattern of Plasmodium falciparum isolates from patients visiting Specialist Hospital Bauchi, Nigeria to reportedly prescribed antimalarial agents in Bauchi. Information on malaria patients and antimalarial drugs prescribed to the patients were collected and documented. In vitro antimalarial susceptibility assay was carried out using in vitro micro test. The average malaria prevalence of 22.78% was reported from January 2015 to December 2017. The survey also revealed that more female patients recorded the highest incidence of malaria to male patients. Four antimalarial drugs were reported to be routinely prescribed in the Health facility from 2015 to 2017: viz ACT (Artemisnin based Combined Therapies) 88.06%; Artesunate 10.29%; while Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine and Quinine were 3.96% and 0.99% respectively. The pattern of Plasmodium falciparum isolates resistant to test antimalarial drugs were Chloroquine 27.06% > (Artemether-Lumefantrine) 18.82% > Artemether 14.12% > Quinine 4.71%. With the increasing pressure on the usage or prescription of ACTs in malaria treatment, the development of high level of resistance to ACTs is now a high probability.

Keywords: Malaria, inhibitory concentration, assay, resistance, antimalarial