Yahaya Inuwa1,2* Godly Chessed1, Muhammed A. Qadeer1, Abubakar Suleiman1, Ahmed S. Bukar2 and Rufai Ali1
1Department of Zoology, Modibbo Adama University, P.M.B. 2076, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria
2Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria
*Corresponding author: ibninuways1@gmail.com, doi.org/10.55639/607.828180
ABSTRACT
The threat of Malaria to the public health especially in Sub-Saharan Africa is enormous and Nigeria in particular is considered a bit hotspot. The diseases are transmitted by Plasmodium species with severe disease outcome children under 5 years. In this study, we undertook a cross-sectional study using representative cohort of children in Maiduguri aged 5 59 months to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with infection with P. falciparum in this vulnerable aged group. A cross-sectional study was conducted on participants from four hospitals in Maiduguri, Borno State. In total, plasma was collected from 182 and 91 participants for the detection of IgG and IgM antibodies, respectively using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay for the measurement of IgG and IgM antibody production against P. falciparum. The result indicates that the overall seroprevalence was (75.3%; 137/182) and (86.8%; 79/91) corresponding to IgG and IgM respectively. Based on gender, male 24(13.2%) and 8(8.8%) were positive with respect to IgG and IgM while 21(11.5%) and 4(4.4%) of the females were positive to IgG and IgM antibodies respectively. Additionally, both University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and State Specialist Hospital Maiduguri, recorded the highest prevalence of 15 (8.2%) for IgG while only UMTH recorded the highest prevalence of 5(5.5%) to IgM antibodies. In conclusion, the overall seroprevalence was found to be low for both IgG and IgM. However, our study observed differences in the seroprevalence of P. falciparium in children according to age and study locations for IgM and IgG respectively. Also, males have high seroprevalence for both IgG and IgM.
Keywords:
P. falciparum,
Children,
Maiduguri,
ELISA,
Nigeria