Prevalence of malaria among the nomadic Fulani in Osun state, southwest Nigeria

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of malaria among the nomadic Fulani in Osun state, Nigeria. In this study, 102 blood samples were collected from male and female nomads and assayed by Giemsa staining of thick and thin blood film for detection and identification of plasmodium species and parasitaemia count for determination of parasitaemia load. Malaria prevalence was 55.9%. All infection was diagnosed as Plasmodium falciparum infection. Malaria prevalence was high in children, while location, age, sex, the use of bed net and the type of prophylaxis and therapeutic drugs used had no significant influence on prevalence.

Keywords: Malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, nomadic Fulani, Nigeria

International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences, 6(2): 223-227, 2010