Prevalence of the malaria parasite in screened blood in a tertiary health centre in the malaria-endemic Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

* Kemebradikumo Pondei ¹Ebidor Lawani² and Eno Ndiok³

¹Department of Medical Microbiology, ²Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health  Sciences, Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

³Department of Parasitology, Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa,  Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author’s Email: kemepondei@hotmail.com; 

Tel: +2348030940882  

Accepted 22 December, 2012

Abstract

Blood transfusion services are an important part of healthcare delivery especially in resource-poor malaria-endemic settings. Blood is routinely screened for transfusion transmissible illnesses but not malaria. In order to determine the prevalence of malaria parasite in blood already screened for transfusion transmissible illnesses, a study was carried out at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa. Blood samples were aseptically obtained from blood bags ready for transfusion and already confirmed as free from transfusion transmissible infections. Thick and thin blood smears were made for each sample and Giemsa-stained and the films examined under the microscope for malaria parasite.  Parasite densities were estimated for the malaria positive slides. The ABO and Rhesus blood group types of the donors were also determined using standard techniques. The malaria parasite was detected in 24 blood samples, indicating a malaria parasitaemia prevalence of 12.56% (95% CI: 7.88% - 17.24%) in blood donors. The trophozoite of Plasmodium falciparum was identified in all the malaria-positive slides. Parasite density ranged from 62/µl to 98,167/µl of blood. The blood group O Rhesus D positive was the commonest blood group type, accounting for two-thirds of the donors. Also, most of the subjects with malaria parasite positive slides were of this blood group. There was no association between malaria parasitaemia prevalence and age or blood group types. There is a potential risk of transfusion transmitted malaria in blood already screened for transfusion. We recommend the inclusion of screening for malaria parasitaemia in routine investigations of potential blood donors in Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

Keywords: Blood transfusion, screening, malaria parasite, blood group types