Setegn Abebaw, Tegegne Yalewayker, Worku Ligabaw, Zeleke Ayalew Jejaw
Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Parasite Epidemiol Control. 2025 Jun 16;30:e00441. doi: 10.1016/j.parepi.2025.e00441. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Malaria is the most prevalent and deadly mosquito-borne disease worldwide. In Ethiopia, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax coexist, adding to the country's malaria burden. Assessing the prevalence of malaria and identifying the factors linked to its transmission are essential strategies for effective prevention and control.
To determine the prevalence and associated factors of malaria among febrile patients at two sites with different transmission intensities.
An institution-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2021. The sample size was determined using the double population proportion formula, and participants were selected through a convenient sampling technique in which study participants were selected based on their easy convenience or willingness to participate until the expected sample size was obtained. Malaria diagnosis was performed via Geimsa-based microscopy. Data entry was performed using EpiData version 4.6.0, and analysis was carried out using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with malaria, with a -value <0.05 considered statistically significant. Additionally, the difference in malaria prevalence between the two study areas was assessed using the chi-square test.
Among the 528 study participants, the overall malaria prevalence was 16.1 % (85/528). Specifically, the prevalence was 13.6 % (36/264) at Maksegnit Health Center and 18.6 % (49/264) at Sanja Health Center. The difference in malaria prevalence between the two study sites was not statistically significant ( > 0.05). In Maksegnit Health Center, malaria prevalence was significantly associated with the age groups 6-14 years: 16.09 (2.65-37.80) and 15-24 years: 8.21 (2.74-20.98), as well as rural residence 14.25 (3.13-44.86). In Sanja Health Center, significant associations were observed with the age group 15-24 years: 8.21 (2.74-20.98), lack of bed net availability: 11.84 (3.36-41.66), and recent travel history: 5.58 (1.32-23.70).
This study revealed that malaria prevalence was moderately high in both study areas, with no statistically significant difference between the two sites. However, unique factors were associated with malaria prevalence in each location. These findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions to address area-specific risk factors, such as improving bed net distribution, enhancing housing conditions, and eliminating mosquito-breeding sites.
疟疾是全球最普遍且致命的蚊媒疾病。在埃塞俄比亚，恶性疟原虫和间日疟原虫共存，加重了该国的疟疾负担。评估疟疾流行情况并确定与其传播相关的因素是有效预防和控制的关键策略。
确定两个传播强度不同地区发热患者中疟疾的流行情况及相关因素。
于2021年4月至5月进行了一项基于机构的比较横断面研究。样本量使用双总体比例公式确定，参与者通过方便抽样技术选取，即根据研究参与者的便利程度或参与意愿进行选择，直至获得预期样本量。疟疾诊断通过吉姆萨染色显微镜检查进行。数据录入使用EpiData 4.6.0版本，分析使用社会科学统计软件包（SPSS）20版本。进行双变量和多变量分析以确定与疟疾相关的因素，P值<0.05被认为具有统计学意义。此外，使用卡方检验评估两个研究区域之间疟疾流行率的差异。
在528名研究参与者中，总体疟疾流行率为16.1%（85/528）。具体而言，马克塞格尼特健康中心的流行率为13.6%（36/264），桑贾健康中心的流行率为18.6%（49/264）。两个研究地点之间疟疾流行率的差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。在马克塞格尼特健康中心，疟疾流行率与6至14岁年龄组显著相关：比值比为16.09（2.65 - 37.80），15至24岁年龄组：8.21（2.74 - 20.98），以及农村居住情况：14.25（3.13 - 44.86）。在桑贾健康中心，观察到与15至24岁年龄组显著相关：比值比为8.21（2.74 - 20.98），蚊帐可用性缺乏：11.84（3.36 - 41.66），以及近期旅行史：5.58（1.32 - 23.70）。
本研究表明，两个研究区域的疟疾流行率均处于中等偏高水平，两个地点之间无统计学显著差异。然而，每个地点与疟疾流行率相关的因素各不相同。这些发现强调了针对性干预措施的重要性，以应对特定区域的风险因素，如改善蚊帐分发、改善住房条件和消除蚊虫滋生地。
