Global Journal of Medical Research, F: Diseases, Volume 22 Issue 4

27 Year 2022 Global Journal of Medical Research Volume XXII Issue IV Version I ( D ) F © 2022 Global Journals A Brief Study on the Prevalence of Malaria in Kolkata, West Bengal, India Table 3: Distribution of subjects according to sex Sl No. Groups N = 120 Percentage (%) 1. Male 106 88.33 2. Female 14 11.66 Table 4: Mean and standard deviation (SD) of age among affected individuals Plasmodium vivax affected = 105 Mean (SD) Plasmodium falciparum affected = 15 Mean (SD) Age in years 36.773 (3.59) 28.46 (7.35) Table 5: Affected population month wise Sl No. Characteristics N = 120 Percentage (%) 1. October, 2019 59 49.16 2. November, 2019 61 50.83 Table 6: Treatment procedures Chloroquine tablets Artemisinin-based combination therapy Primaquine tablets Total dose: 25 mg/kg given over 3 days. Day 1: 10 mg/kg, followed by 5 mg/kg 6–8 h later. Days 2 and 3: 5 mg/kg in a single dose. Days 1 and 2: 10 mg/kg. Day 3: 5 mg/kg. Day 1: 25 mg/kg followed by Day 2 and 3: 12.5 mg/kg 0.25 mg/kg or 15 mg daily for 14 days 0.75 mg/kg weekly for 8 weeks 92 individuals 76.66% 15 individuals 12.5% 7 individuals 5.83% 20 individuals 16.66% 95 individuals 79.16% Table 1 shows indicators of malaria intervention, including annual blood examination rate, slide positivity rate, and annual parasite incidence among the study participants. A total of 105 (87.5%) individuals were infected with P. vivax , while 15 (12.5%) were infected with P. falciparum (Table 2). Among the included patients, 106 (88.33%) and 14 (11.66%) were male and female, respectively (Table 3). Moreover, those infected with P. vivax and P. falciparum had a mean (standard deviation) age of 36.77 (3.59) and 28.46 (7.35) years, respectively (Table 4). Among the included patients, 59 (49.16%) and 61 (50.83%) were infected in October and November, 2019 respectively (Table 5). Table 6 details the patient’s antimalarial treatment as recommended by the WHO doses of chloroquine, artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), and primaquine. We observed that patients fared better with chloroquine (total dose of 25 mg/kg body weight) distributed over 3 days (76.66%) compared to distributed doses (12.5%). The 3 day treatment with ACT was found to be effective only in a small number of patients (5.83%). Radical treatment with primaquine (0.25 mg/kg or 15 mg daily for 14 days followed by standard chloroquine therapy) yielded a cure rate of 16.66%, whereas a dose of 0.75 mg/kg weekly for 8 weeks yielded a cure rate of 79.16% in affected individuals. IV. D iscussion The present study showed that among the included patients affected by malaria in Kolkata, almost 88% were due to P.vivax , whereas only 15% were due to P. falciparum . Majority of the patients managed with oral medications. Moreover, severe malaria was rare, whereas fatalities were absent. The present study has several limitations that need to be considered. The study area selected was mainly populated by individuals from middle or low socioeconomic background. This pattern may in turn impact the knowledge and awareness of malaria, as well as the degree and pace of health care utilization adopted by the private sectors of the city as a whole. However, the present study provides a sufficiently representative depiction of the status of malaria within Kolkata. The percentage of subjects affected by malaria after the peak monsoon season during the early winter months was quite high, suggesting P. vivax relapse (i.e., long and short latency) in the eastern part of India. However, given that the present study does not comprehensive investigate this phenomenon, further detailed studies on the matter should be encouraged. The medications adopted from the WHO manual of drugs used in parasitic diseases, 2 nd edition [10] has provided the necessary information for understanding routine treatment approaches for