Experience of malaria in children of a flood affected area: a field hospital study

ABSTRACT

To determine the frequency of malaria among children presenting with fever in a flood affected area, and the frequency of Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum among cases, this cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 September 2010 to 15 January 2011 in the Australian Field Camp and Ehsas Field Hospital, Kot Addu, Muzaffargarh District, Southern Punjab, Pakistan. Each febrile child aged >/= 15 years fulfilling the clinical case definition of suspected uncomplicated malaria was investigated by rapid diagnostic test. Of 20 288 children examined, 3198 [16%] febrile patients fulfilled the clinical case definition and 2406 [75%] cases were positive for malaria. P. vivax, P. falciparum,and co-infection were present in 1562 [65%], 759 [31%] and 85[4%] cases respectively. P. vivaxwas the most prevalent species followed by P. falciparum.Twenty seven [4%] cases of P. falciparumfulfilled the case definition of cerebral malaria. The age group most affected was 5-9 years [41%]