Vol. 1, Issue 1 (2012)

Background: Malaria is a highly contagious illness that presents a substantial burden in terms of both morbidity and mortality. Consequently, India is confronted with a huge challenge in addressing this issue. Although the malaria eradication campaign achieved initial success in the 1950s and 1960s, there was a significant increase in cases to 6.74 million in 1976, which subsequently decreased to 2.1 million in 1984. In the year 1984, the incidence of malaria infection reached its nadir since the initiation of the program. Since then, it has reached a state of stability at this particular level.

Methods: This study was conducted from January 2011 to December 2011 at the Department of Pathology, SFTMC College & Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Memorial Teaching Hospital, Agartala, Tripura, India. A total of 220 malaria cases were selected from the Malaria Laboratory based on positive smear results, and their hematological changes were analyzed. The present study aimed to examine the hematological characteristics of malaria at a hospital affiliated with a medical school. A comprehensive analysis was conducted on several hematological parameters in all malaria cases that yielded positive results on a smear.

Results: Falciparum and vivax infections have the potential to induce a range of hematological abnormalities, with normocytic normochromic anemia and thrombocytopenia being the most commonly observed. In a general sense, there exists a correlation between parasite burden and the severity of anemia and thrombocytopenia. In a patient presenting with a feverish state, it is imperative to do a thorough investigation for the presence of the malarial parasite in order to detect the occurrence of thrombocytopenia. The alterations in white blood cells are less conspicuous, and the results of various tests differ. The observed alterations include leucopenia, leucocytosis, and in rare cases, the presence of abnormal lymphocytes.

Conclusion: The objective of the present study was to monitor hematological changes in a cohort of 220 individuals diagnosed with malaria who had tested positive for smear tests. The prevalence rates of vivax, falciparum, and mixed disease were 51%, 48%, and one, respectively. In the present investigation, the proportion of male participants was 58%, in contrast to 69% in previous investigations that yielded similar results. The current analysis revealed that leucocytosis was identified in 10% of the cases. Leucopenia was observed in 18% of the participants in the present investigation. Thrombocytopenia was observed in 83% of the malaria cases in the present investigation. The present study employed statistical analysis to establish an association between the severity of anemia and the number of parasites present.