ABSTRACT
Background: There were about of 124 to 283 million cases of malaria with 367,000 to 755,000 deaths annually
This study aimed to assess the prevalence of malaria cases and associated risk factors among attendants at Chichu and Wonago health centers, South Ethiopia
Methods: In this health institution based cross sectional study, 324 subjects, attendants from outpatient department who came for any kind of medical services, were included during May to June 2016. A blood film examination format and structured questionnaire were used for data collection. Peripheral blood samples were collected and the presence of malaria cases was observed microscopically. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS version 20.0
Results: Malaria cases were detected in 91 [28.1%] of the participants with higher infection rate amongst [56.04%]. The predominant Plasmodium species detected was P. vivax [52.75%] followed by P. falciparum [35.16%] and mixed malaria infection by both of the species [12.09%]. Housing construction and not using of insecticide treated bed nets for the last 6 months were significantly associated with the risk of getting malaria. Individuals who had stagnant water in their compound were more likely to get malaria than those who did not [OR=1.87, 95% Cl: 1.20, 2.76]. Houses that had been sprayed with insecticide in the past 6 months were protected against malaria infection [OR=0.33, 95% Cl: 0.11, 0.92]. Moreover, bed net utilization was associated with a significantly lower risk of infection [OR=0.19, 95% Cl: 0.09, 0.37]
Conclusions: Type of housing construction, not using bed net, insecticide spraying and residing near stagnant water were associated risk factors with malaria positivity in the study area
ABSTRACT
Objective: To assess the molluscicidal and cercariacidal activities of aqueous extracts ofBalanites aegyptiaca (B. aegyptiaca) against Ethiopian Biomphalaria pfeifferi (B. pfeifferi), Lymnaea natalensis (L. natalensis) and Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) cercariae. Methods:Extracts of seeds, endocarp, mesocarp, and fruit of B. aegyptiaca were tested for their activities against adult B. pfeifferi and L. natalensis. The cercariacidal activity of the seeds of the plant was also evaluated against S. mansoni. Bioassays were carried out following the methods recommended by WHO. Snail mortalities were compared between each plant part and snail species, and LC50 and LC90 values for the plant parts tested were computed. The cercariacidal activity of the plant was assessed by exposing the mice to the cercariae pre-exposed to aqueous extract of B. aegyptiaca seeds. Results:For the molluscicidal activities of seeds, endocarp, mesocarp and whole fruit, the LC50 values against B. pfeifferi were 56.32, 77.53, 65.51 and 66.63 mg/L, respectively, while the respective LC90 values were 77.70, 120.04, 89.50 and 97.55 mg/L. Similarly, the LC50 values for the seeds, endocarp, mesocarp and whole fruit against L. natalensis were 80.33, 92.61, 83.52 and 87.84 mg/L, respectively, while the respective LC90 values were 102.30, 138.21, 115.42 and 127.69 mg/L. B. pfeifferi were found to be more susceptible to B. aegyptiaca than L. natalensis. S. mansoni cercariae exposed to 15 mg/L of extract of seeds were incapable of infecting mice. The mean egg load of tissue was reduced in mice infected with the cercariae exposed to 5 and 10 mg/L of the extract. Conclusions:The aqueous extracts of different parts of B. aegyptiaca exhibited reasonable molluscicidal activity against B. pfeifferi and L. natalensis, as well as cercariacidal activity against S. mansoni cercariae. However, comprehensive laboratory evaluation is recommended prior to field tests of the plant parts since their impact on other aquatic biota is not known.