Experience of malaria in children of a flood affected area: a field hospital study

To determine the frequency of malaria among children presenting with fever in a flood affected area, and the frequency of Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum among cases, this cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 September 2010 to 15 January 2011 in the Australian Field Camp and Ehsas Field Hospital, Kot Addu, Muzaffargarh District, Southern Punjab, Pakistan. Each febrile child aged ≤ 15 years fulfilling the clinical case definition of suspected uncomplicated malaria was investigated by rapid diagnostic test. Of 20 288 children examined, 3198 (16%) febrile patients fulfilled the clinical case definition and 2406 (75%) cases were positive for malaria. P. vivax, P. falciparum, and co-infection were present in 1562 (65%), 759 (31%) and 85(4%) cases respectively. P. vivax was the most prevalent species followed by P. falciparum. Twenty seven (4%) cases of P. falciparum fulfilled the case definition of cerebral malaria. The age group most affected was 5–9 years (41%).