title: Malaria incidence among paramilitary personnel in an endemic area of Tripura.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Paramilitary operations along the Indo-Bangladesh border are adversely affected by malaria induced morbidity and mortality. Villages surrounding the paramilitary installations often serve as disease reservoirs. Malaria incidence in Tripura State Rifles (TSR) units in Dhalai District of Tripura was studied and the role of the village population in disease transmission was also assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mass blood surveys were carried out among TSR personnel and villagers during 2007 to 2009. Malaria diagnosis through blood smear examination and rapid detection kits was done, and percentage parasitaemia was determined. Activity of malaria vectors was monitored using CDC light traps.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Slide positivity rates (SPR) in the neighbouring villages (51.4%) was significantly higher than that in TSR (27.7%) (P<0.0001). Malaria incidence in villages did not show seasonal variability while it was lowest during post-monsoon season in TSR (P<0.325; OR = 0.74). Per cent Pf parasitaemia was high in TSR (0.29) as compared to villagers (0.20) (P<0.0001). Anopheles minimus and An. dirus were the major malaria vectors observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paramilitary and public health authorities should adopt targeted measures to reduce the malaria incidence in the villages surrounding the paramilitary installations as the village populations play a major role in disease transmission.
authors: Defence Research Laboratory, Tezpur, Assam, India. sunildhiman81@gmail.com
authors: Sunil
authors: S
authors: Dhiman
authors: Reji
authors: R
authors: Gopalakrishnan
authors: Diganta
authors: D
authors: Goswami
authors: Bipul
authors: B
authors: Rabha
authors: Indra
authors: I
authors: Baruah
authors: Lokendra
authors: L
authors: Singh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000382:microbiology; D008288:Malaria / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008889:Military Personnel; D018512:Parasitemia; D012424:Rural Population; D012621:Seasons