title: The prevalence of Plasmodia parasitaemia among donors in the Niger delta of Nigeria.
abstract: Giemsa-stained blood films from 1018 consecutively recruited blood donors was examined quantitatively for plasmodium species to determine the prevalence of transfusion-transmissible malaria among blood donors. The overall prevalence rate was 104 (10.2%). Infection rate was highest among donors aged 10-19 years (16.7%) and was significantly higher among commercially remunerated donors (17.8%) compared with family replacement donors (4.8%) (chi(2) = 45.19; P < 0.001). Pre-donation mean haemoglobin value was significantly lower among malaria-parasitized donors and commercial donors (12.3+/-0.30 and 12.63+/-0.57 g/dL) compared with non-parasitized and family replacement donors (13.5+/-1.01 and 13.9+/-0.96 g/dL) (chi(2) = 143.88; P = 0.001) and (chi(2) = 392.7; P = 0.001), respectively. This study confirms a high prevalence of transfusion-transmissible malaria among blood donors and lays bare the need to routinely treat transfusion recipient with anti-malaria as a prophylactic measure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, PMB 6173, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Osaro
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Erhabor
authors.forename: Obunge
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ok
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Awah
authors.forename: Kufre Emmanuel
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Uko
authors.forename: Adias Teddy
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Charles
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000469:parasitology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015995:Prevalence