Assessment of Plasmodium Species Infection and Proper Utilization of Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets in Merawi Town and Its Surroundings, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted to assess the prevalence of Plasmodium species infection and proper use of insecticide treated mosquito nets in Merawi town and its surroundings, West Gojjam from October 2010 to January 2011. The study consisted of a total of 403 selected subjects. Both thick and thin films were prepared from the study subjects, and stained by using 10% Giemsa solution and examined under a microscope for parasite species identification. Questionnaires were used to get information about insecticide treated mosquito net utilization. The overall prevalence of Plasmodium was 32.3% in which the prevalence of P. falciparum was higher (52.3%) than P. vivax (37.7%). Pregnant women were highly infected by a mixed infection of P. falciparum and P. vivax (38.5%) than non-pregnant women (30.8%). There was an association (p<0.05) between Plasmodium species infection and residence, sex, and age of the study subjects. Children below 5 years were highly infected by P. falciparum and P. vivax with prevalence of 29.4% and 20.6%, respectively. Despite the possession of insecticide treated mosquito nets, there was a gap in coverage and utilization. Educational status, age, and occupation of study participants were associated with utilization pattern of insecticide treated mosquito nets.

Keywords: Insecticide treated mosquito net, Plasmodium, prevalence, proper utilization, Merawi.