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 the 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 were routinely screened free of Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, Syphilis, HIV I and II Virus. The samples were screened for malaria parasites using CareStart™ Malaria HRP2 One Step Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and microscopy, and blood group was determined using the 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 results. High positivity rates were found among blood donors with blood group O+ (48.1%). The majority were farmers and from the age group 18–25 years, with the highest prevalence rates 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%) had a primary level of education (western). Blood film was found to be highly sensitive compared to RDT, with positivity rates of 26.7% and 3.5%, respectively. These were, however, statistically significantly different (P<0.05).