Diversity of Plasmodium Species in Patients Attending Public Health Institution in Doma, Nassarawa-Eggon and Kokona Local Government of Nasarawa State

Malaria remains a significant health challenge in Nigeria and millions of people are still at risk of contracting the parasite. This research determined the diversity of Plasmodium species in patients attending public health institutions of Nasarawa State with respect to their age, gender, occupation and risk factors of infection. A total of 1200 blood samples were collected through venous puncture from consenting patients attending the hospitals and analyzed using two malaria diagnosis methods that is, Giemsa stained blood film microscopy and Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs). Microscopy had 62.5% while RDTs had 59.7% positive malaria cases. The age group with highest infection were 11-20 years (18.9%) and the least was 51 and above 8.5%. Females (54.1%) were more infected than males having 45.8%, (p<0.05). Farmers were the most infected (26.0%) and the least infected were students with a prevalence rate of 16.66%, (p<0.05). Plasmodium falciparum was highest (78.2%) followed by P. malariae (20.2%), the least species found was P. ovale (4.1%). Based on risk factors associated with malaria, patients who reside in rural areas are more infected (54.9%) than those who stay in urban area (45.1%), those who use ITNs (26.9%) were less infected than those who do not (73.1%); the patients who wear protective clothing at night (29.4) were less infected than those who did not (70.5) and those who use insect repellant (33.9%) were less infected than those who did not (66.1%). There was a statistically significant difference in relation to these factors (p<0.05). A malaria prevalence rate of 62.5% is considered extremely high and should be a cause for significant concern and urgent intervention efforts and malaria control measures by the Government should be encouraged. These include campaigns promoting the use of insecticide treated nets and the maintenance of good personal and environmental hygiene.