Table 2 Socio-demographic, Parasitological and clinical characteristics of the Plasmodium falciparum infected children
Parameter | Study participants | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | Clinical malaria | Asymptomatic malaria | ||
(n = 279) | (n = 182) | (n = 97) | ||
Age, median (Range), months | 52 (8 – 110) | 52 (8 – 110) | 51 (10–105) | ND |
Age, mean ± SEM, months | 56.7 ± 1.4 | 57.3 ± 1.7 | 55.6 ± 2.5 | 0.59 |
Age group, n (%) | ||||
6 – 24 | 14 (5) | 8 (4.4) | 6 (6.2) | 0.54 |
25 – 59 | 152 (54.5) | 101 (55.5) | 51 (52.6) | 0.69 |
60 and above | 113 (40.5) | 73 (40.1) | 40 (41.2) | 0.86 |
Gender | ||||
Male, n (%) | 167 (59.9) | 113 (62.1) | 54 (55.7) | 0.29 |
Geometric mean parasite density (95 % CI), parasites/uL | 5470 (2,170 – 7,770) | 10,200 (5,300 – 15,100) | 1,690 (1340 – 2040) | <0.001 |
Hyperparasitaemia | ||||
(parasitaemia > 250,000/uL), n (%) High parasite density | 2 (0.7) | 2 (1.1) | 0 (0) | ND |
(parasitaemia >10,000/uL), n (%) | 62 (22.2) | 62 (33.2) | 0 (0) | ND |
Axillary body temperature, mean ± SEM, °C | 37.1 ± 0.04 | 37.2 ± 0.05 | 36.8 ± 0.03 | <0.0001 |
Hyperpyrexia (> 40 °C), n (%) | 5 (1.8) | 5 (2.7) | 0 (0) | ND |
Hb, mean ± SEM (range), g/dl | 11.6 ± 0.1 (4.2 – 14.1) | 11.3 ± 0.2 (4.2 – 13.4) | 12.2 ± 0.1 (10.2 – 14.1) | <0.001 |
Anaemia (Hb < 11 g/dl), n (%) | 49 (17.6) | 37 (20.3) | 12 (12.4) | ND |
Severe anaemia, (Hb < 6 g/dl), n (%) | 15 (5.4) | 15 (8.2) | 0 (0) | |
Indices of malnutrition, n (%) | ||||
WAZ (n = 224) | 14 (16.9) | |||
< −2 SD | 50 (22.3) | 36 (25.5) | 68 (81.9) | |
−2 – to 2 SD | 171 (76.3) | 103 (73.0) | 1 (1.2) | 0.14 |
>2 SD | 3 (1.4) | 2 (1.5) | ||
HAZ (n = 239) | 11 (13.3) | |||
< −2 SD | 57 (23.8) | 46 (29.5) | 70 (84.3) | 0.006 |
−2 – to 2 SD | 176 (73.6) | 106 (67.9) | 2 (2.4) | |
>2 SD | 6 (2.6) | 4 (2.6) | 1 (1.2) | |
WHZ (n = 215) | ||||
< −2 SD | 8 (3.7) | 7 (5.3) | 79 (96.3) | 0.001 |
−2 – to 2 SD | 204 (94.9) | 125 (94.0) | 2 (2.5) | |
>2 SD | 3 (1.4) | 1 (0.7) | ||