Situation of malaria in forest-fringed villages of north Lakhimpur District, Assam
Das, N.G.; Baruah, I.; Das, S.C.
Indian Journal of Malariology 39(1-2): 43-47
2002
ISSN/ISBN: 0367-8326 PMID: 14686110 Document Number: 551631
The situation of malaria and disease vector species in 4 forest-fringed villages in North Lakhimpur, Assam, India, was investigated . Human blood samples and adult mosquitoes from human dwellings and cattle sheds in Durpang, Bishnupur, Santipur and Mirigaon were collected and examined for malaria parasites. 106 of 228 blood samples collected were positive for either Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax (slide positivity rate (SPR), 46.5%). P. falciparum was the dominant species and accounted for 60.4% of the total cases. The highest SPR was recorded in Bishnupur (60.2%), followed by Santipur (58.5%), Mirigaon (38.1%) and Durpang (19.2%). There was little difference in malaria incidence between male and female populations. The most number of cases was observed in children aged 6-15 years (SPR, 63.2%). In the entomological survey, 11 Anopheles spp. and 16 Culex spp. were collected in 8 trap nights. The per trap night densities of mosquitoes in human dwellings and cattle sheds were 293 and 839.3, respectively. Anopheline mosquitoes were 36.7% of the total collection with 98.3 and 316.7 per trap night density in human dwellings and cattle sheds, respectively. The malaria vectors encountered were A. annularis (n=142), A. culicifacies (n=72), A. maculatus (n=227), A. minimus (n=144), and A. philippinensis (n=211). Dissection of malaria vectors revealed high parity rate (73.3%) ranging between 70.1 and 77.6%. It is suggested that disease control measures (impregnated bed nets, indoor residual spray, disease surveillance, antimalarial measures and malaria awareness) should be implemented to improve malaria situation in this area.