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Body temperature and malaria parasitaemia in rural African children
1Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Insights
Malaria parasitaemia in Nigerian school children showed little effect on body temperature. Even with seasonal parasite rate changes, body temperature remained similar, indicating low impact of malaria on fever in this endemic population.
Area of Science:
- Tropical Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Malaria remains a significant public health concern in hyperendemic regions.
- Understanding the clinical manifestations of malaria in children is crucial for effective management.
- The relationship between malaria parasitaemia and body temperature in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic children requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between malaria parasitaemia and body temperature in rural school children.
- To assess the influence of seasonal variations on malaria prevalence and its effect on body temperature.
- To determine the prevalence of malaria and associated febrile responses in children aged 6-12 years in southwest Nigeria.
Main Methods:
- A 14-week observational study was conducted on 198 rural school children (aged 6-12 years) in a hyperendemic malaria area.
- Body temperature was measured, and malaria parasitaemia was determined through blood sample analysis.
- Data were analyzed considering seasonal variations (wet and dry seasons) and parasite density.
Main Results:
- Body temperatures were similar between apparently healthy children and those with malaria parasitaemia (mean 37.1-37.3°C).
- Seasonal variations in malaria parasite rates did not significantly impact parasite density or body temperature.
- A low percentage (less than 2%) of malaria episodes were accompanied by acute malaria symptoms or significant fever ( > 37.5°C).
Conclusions:
- The presence of malaria parasitaemia has minimal to no effect on body temperature patterns in this cohort of rural Nigerian school children.
- Asymptomatic or low-density parasitaemia is common and often not associated with fever in endemic settings.
- Findings highlight the need to consider other causes of fever in malaria-endemic areas, especially in children with low parasite densities.
Abstract:
Body temperature was measured and the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia was determined in 198 rural school children aged 6-12 years in a hyperendemic area of southwest Nigeria over a 14 week period spanning part of both wet and dry seasons. Body temperature values in apparently healthy children and in children with malaria parasitaemia were similar with group mean of 37.1 to 37.3 degrees C and with little or no variation in these values with season. The proportion of individual measurements with values > 37.5 degrees C in the two groups were respectively 4.3 and 6%. Despite a seasonal variation in parasite rate, with the highest rates in the wet and the lowest rates in the dry season, there was no significant difference in the proportion of subjects with parasite density > 1000/ul between season. There was also no relationship between parasite density and body temperature. In general, children with parasitaemia < 1000/ul were not pyrexial and less than 2% of all episodes of detectable parasitaemia was accompanied by symptoms of acute malaria. These findings suggest that the presence of malaria parasitaemia has little or no effect on body temperature pattern in a group of rural school children in an endemic area.