Prevalence of Malaria Parasitaemia and Its Association with ABO Blood Grouping among Students of Igbinedion University Okada, Nigeria

This study was carried out to investigate ABO blood groups association with malaria parasitaemia among students of Igbinedion University, Okada located in Mid-Western Nigeria. Two milliliters (2ml) of venous blood was collected by venipuncture using 5ml hypodermic needles and syringes from 104 asymptomatic malaria students between March and June 2012. Blood samples were immediately dispensed into Ethylene Diamine Tetra-Acetic acid (EDTA) anticoagulated containers and mixed appropriately. ABO blood typing using monoclonal Antisera A, B and D was carried out on samples. The malaria Plasmodium falciparumrapid Test Device (whole blood) package insert kit (BDH, England) was used to test for the presence of malaria parasites in the specimens. The 104 samples analyzed were made up of 24(23.1%) rhesus positive males, 76(73.0%) rhesus positive females and 4(3.9%) rhesus negative females. In increasing order, 4(3.9%), 16(15.4%), 32(30.8%) and 52(50.0%) students occurred in blood groups AB, A, B and O respectively. Forty (38.4%) of total group O subjects were infected with various densities of malaria trophozoites. Out of 32 blood group B individuals representing 30.8% of the total sampled students, 24(23.1%) were infected. All sampled 4(3.9%) AB students were infected. On the whole, 80(76.8%) of total samples processed, were positive for malaria parasitaemia. Twelve (11.5%) and 68(65.4%) of total male and female subjects were infected. Malaria parasitaemia seemed to be relatively high across all blood groups with groups O and AB subjects apparently recording the highest and least infection rates respectively. There was statistical significant association between malaria parasitaemia and ABO blood groups of both male and female students (P < 0.05) and between malaria parasitaemia and ABO blood groups of female students only (P < 0.05). The association of malaria parasitaemia and ABO blood groups of male students was not significant (P > 0.05). There was a statistical significant association of malaria parasitaemia and ABO blood groups among all students sampled and this association may be due to the significant association that occurred among the female students as shown by statistics.