title: Spatial distribution of malaria in Peninsular Malaysia from 2000 to 2009.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malaria is still an endemic disease of public health importance in Malaysia. Populations at risk of contracting malaria includes indigenous people, traditional villagers, mobile ethnic groups and land scheme settlers, immigrants from malaria endemic countries as well as jungle workers and loggers. The predominant species are Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax. An increasing number of P. knowlesi infections have also been encountered. The principal vectors in Peninsular Malaysia are Anopheles maculatus and An. cracens. This study aims to determine the changes in spatial distribution of malaria in Peninsular Malaysia from year 2000-2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data for the study was collected from Ministry of Health, Malaysia and was analysed using Geographic Information System (GIS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Changes for a period of 10 years of malaria spatial distribution in 12 states of Peninsular Malaysia were documented and discussed. This is illustrated by digital mapping according to five variables; incidence rate (IR), fatality rate (FR), annual blood examination rate (ABER), annual parasite index (API) and slide positivity rate (SPR).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a profound change in the spatial distribution of malaria within a 10-year period. This is evident from the digital mapping of the infection in Peninsular Malaysia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. fi8erbreathing@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Haridah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alias
authors.forename: Johari
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Surin
authors.forename: Rohela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mahmud
authors.forename: Aziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shafie
authors.forename: Junaidden
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mohd Zin
authors.forename: Mahadzir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohamad Nor
authors.forename: Ahmad Shah
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rundi
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000145:classification
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