A study of the urban malaria transmission problem in Khartoum

• Published in: Acta tropica Vol. 75; no. 2; pp. 163 - 171
• Main Authors: El Sayed, Badria Babiker, Arnot, David E, Mukhtar, Maowia M, Baraka, Omer Z, Dafalla, Asim A, Elnaiem, Dia Eldin A, Nugud, Abdel Hamid D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 25.03.2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Factors; Animals; Anopheles - parasitology; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Epidemic risk; Human protozoal diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Insect Vectors - parasitology; Longitudinal Studies; Malaria; Malaria - epidemiology; Malaria - parasitology; Malaria - transmission; Medical sciences; Parasitic diseases; Plasmodium - genetics; Plasmodium - isolation & purification; Prevalence; Protozoal diseases; Seasonal transmission; Seasons; Sudan; Sudan - epidemiology; Tropical medicine; Urban Health; Urban malaria; Africa; Sudan; Epidemic risk; Urban malaria; Seasonal transmission; Sudan; Infection; Human; Protozoal disease; Prevalence; Malaria; Seasonal variation; Transmission; Urban area; Parasitosis; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/S0001-706X(99)00098-4

A study of malaria prevalence and transmission was carried out in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. The sentinel sites were El manshia, an urban area on the Blue Nile and Ed dekheinat, a lower-income peri-urban area bordering the White Nile. Anopheles arabiensis, the only malaria vector encountered, was present throughout the year although vector density varied seasonally. Plasmodium falciparum was the only species found in El manshia. In Ed dekheinat P. falciparum, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium vivax constituted 84.9, 8.2 and 6.9% of the cases, respectively. Plasmodium ovale appears to have recently spread into Khartoum since it has not previously been reported there. We conclude that focal transmission of malaria in the districts bordering both Niles has become established and that the reservoir of human infections has increased in recent years leading to increased risk of malaria epidemics, particularly in the aftermath of seasonal flooding.