Study on Ovalocytosis in Endemic Malaria Areas of West Lombok Subdistrict, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia

A study ovalocytosis was perfomed in endemic malaria areas of the West Lombok subdistric, West Nusa Tenggara Province, covering the periods of 1991, 1992 (August, October, December) and 1993 (April, June) in different areas which their prevalence were 8.8 percent (year 1991), 1.9 percent (year 1992) and 3.8 percent (year 1993). Examination of blood smear with Giemsa stained of all subject studied revealed 6.5 percent subject with ovalocytosis were parasite malaria positive (year 1991), 0 percent (year 1992) and 0 percent (year 1993). Based on international standardization of ovalocytosis, 22 out of 34 subjects studied (January 1995) showed 50 percent or more ovalocytosis per 100 red blood cells, while the rest (12 subjects) showed less than 50 percent ovalocytosis per 100 red blood cells.