Comparative Analysis of Malaria Diagnostic Tests and Prevalence of Malaria Infection among Blood Donors at General Hospital, Hadejia, Jigawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Blood for transfusion is not routinely tested for malaria in Nigeria despite the recommendation by World Health Organization (WHO) that all donated blood should be tested for malaria where appropriate and possible and that there should be quality assured testing for transfusion- transmissible infection. A hospital based cross sectional descriptive study was carried out to screen for malaria parasites using microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests among consented blood donors at General Hospital, Hadejia, Jigawa State, Nigeria. Four hundred, 400 blood samples were collected from apparently healthy blood donors (398 Males, 2 Females) who presented with no overt signs and symptoms of malaria and routinely screened free of Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, Syphilis, HIV I and II Virus. The samples were screened for malaria parasites using CareStartTm Malaria HRP2 One Step Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and Microscopy, and blood group determined using ABO blood grouping system. Out of the 400 samples screened 107 (26.7%) were found to be positive using Microscopy with a density of +++ trophozoite in 1 (0.2%) blood donor, ++ in 2 (0.5%) blood donors, and + in 104 (26%) blood donors with an overall prevalence of 26.7%. Fourteen (3.5%) blood donors were positive by RDT with 3 false positive RDT. High positivity rate was found among blood donors with blood group O+ (48.1%), majority were farmers and from the age group 18 – 25 years with the highest prevalent rate of 46.2% and 39.3% respectively. The most preventive measures taken were the use of insecticide treated bed-nets. Most of the blood donors (49.8%) have primary level of education (western). Blood film was found to be highly sensitive than RDT with a positivity rate of 26.7% and 3.5% respectively. These were however statistically significantly different (P<0.05).