Endemicity of malaria in Quetta.

The objective was to determine the endemicity of malaria in Quetta and to evaluate the malarial disease index (DI). Also the various modes of presentation of malaria by the prevalent species were also assessed. Design: A cross-sectional study. Place and time of study: The study was conducted from January 1994 to December 1998 at the Department of Medicine Sandeman Provincial Teaching Hospital Quetta through the courtesy of Malaria Control Program Balochistan. Aims and Objectives: A total of 2.63018 subjects were included in the study of which there were 151210 (58%) males and 111808 (42%) females. The age range was 10-60 years. After detailed history and clinical examination finger prick method was used for thick and thin peripheral blood smears for the diagnosis. Out of the total of 2.63018 subjects who were screened the positive smears were detected in 91679 (34.85%). Malarial disease index (DI) was 0.35. P. falciparum was detected in 28166 (30.72%) P. vivax in 61313 (66.87%) and mixed infection in 2200 (2.39%). Only two symptoms were significantly associated with malaria: fever was present in 62% of P. falciparum 53% of P. vivax and 65% of mixed infection. Chills were present in 47% of P. falciparum 41% of P. vivax and 49% of the mixed infection. Other symptoms including vomiting headache bodyaches and diarrhoea had a weaker association. Balochistan is a highly endemic malarious area. The high prevalence of infection associated with low prevalence of disease in Quetta shows epidemiologically stable malaria and that in this community malaria transmission is more endemic than epidemic. (authors)