Current status of malaria infection in a southeastern province of Lao PDR.

ABSTRACT

In Khammouane, a southeastern province in Lao PDR, active case detection (ACD) surveys for malaria infection on the villagers in three villages were conducted four times from December, 1995 to August, 1996. The malaria infection was demonstrated in 5.3-10.5% of the villagers throughout the year in 2 villages located in mountainous forest, but the infection was rarely observed in the other village located in the plain along the Mekong River, in which only 4 malaria cases were detected in August, 1996. Although the positive rate of malaria parasites among the villagers was not so significantly different in the rainy season compared with the dry season, the intensity of infections (ie parasitemia) was significantly higher in the rainy season. More than 90% of the positive villagers were children under 15 years old. Most infections were due to Plasmodium falciparum.