Prevalence of <i>Plasmodium</i> species in patients attending in Ed-Babiker health center in Khartoum State, Sudan.

Abstract

Background: Malaria is a serious vector-borne tropical disease that remains one of the primary reasons for death in several developing countries. In Sudan, almost 75% of the population is at risk of developing malaria. Aim: To study the prevalence and diversity of Plasmodium species based on the data collected in a health center-based survey in Ed-Babiker Health Center-Sudan. Methods: This was cross-sectional malaria survey carried out in Ed-Babiker Health Center during the colder season from December 2020 to March2021.The survey was categorized according to gender and age groups.
Results: The overall prevalence of Plasmodium species among malaria suspected cases was 33%.  P. falciparum was is the main infecting malaria species in Ed-Babiker Health Center as we found that about (24%) of cases were infected with that species. The prevalence showed significant variations between the localities (P value <0.001), which could be explained by differences in population movement, refugees' presence of and proximity to endemic neighboring states. Conclusion: Even though malaria in Ed-Babiker Health Center is still largely recognized to Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax has been growing with worrying proportions and spreading to new areas. The emergence and marked increase of P. vivax poses new challenges to malaria treatment and control in Ed-Babiker Health Center.