Haematological Alterations and Preventive Practices Among Malaria-Positive Patients at Medical Centre in MararabaGurku, Karu, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Malaria is a life-threatening parasitic disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium, transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes; it has infected about 225 million humans worldwide, with significant morbidity and mortality. The study aims to evaluate the impact of malaria parasitemia on haematological parameters in patients with malaria fever, and to validate its prevalence. METHODS: A total of 200 subjects were randomly selected for a cross-sectional study. The following haematological parameters were determined: Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), Haemoglobin, White Blood Cell (WBC), Platelet, Neutrophil, Basophil, Eosinophil, Lymphocyte, Monocyte, using a Haematology Autoanalyser. RESULTS: Malaria-infected patients show statistically significantly low levels of PCV, platelet count, Red Blood Cells, and lymphocytes in both male and female subjects(p<0.05). The incidence of malaria is shown to be higher in female subjects than in male subjects. 91.3% of participants use residual spraying, while 64.4% use Insecticide-Treated Net (ITN). CONCLUSION: Malaria parasitemia negatively affects haematological parameters, leading to anaemia, platelet reduction, and other inflammatory conditions in patients. Complete blood count and platelet count should be components of the diagnosis, treatment, and management of malaria fever.