Factors Associated with the Infection by Plasmodium vivax in Children and Adolescents from the Brazilian Amazon Basin

Objective: To investigate the factors associated with malaria vivax infection in children and adolescents from an endemic area in the Eastern portion of the Brazilian Amazon basin. Methods: A case-control study was carried out in the municipality of Anajas, Brazil, from January 2016 to September 2017. Questionnaires were applied to the relative or the legal tutors of children and adolescents with questions regarding social and economic status, educational degree, knowledge about malaria, and the use of protective measures against mosquito bites. Anthropometric measures were performed in children and adolescents. Results: A total of 58 cases and 61 controls were included in the study. Most of the participants were male, eutrophics, and their relatives presented low educational degrees as well as low social and economic status. The knowledge of malaria was limited, but the percentage of individuals using long-lasting insecticidal nets was high. The presence of peri-domiciliary breeding sites for Anopheles vector was the most critical factor for malaria. Conclusion: The occurrence of malaria was associated with low social and economic status, a low educational degree, the unfamiliarity with malaria and the presence of breeding sites for Anopheles mosquito surrounding individual domiciles.