The Prevalence of Malaria in Soldiers, Zahedan, Iran

Malaria is an infectious disease, which is caused by different species of plasmodium. It damages social and economic growth and is also one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Malaria is transmitted by female anopheles mosquitoes. Studying the epidemiology of malaria is critical, and it has been poorly studied in asymptomatic individuals, especially in boundary soldiers.

This study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of malaria in veterans.

In this cross-sectional study, a total of 300 blood samples were collected from the volunteers of a garrison in Zahedan City, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Southeast of Iran during the spring and summer of 2017 and simultaneously, the questionnaires were completed by the subjects. Then, the samples were examined by microscopic examination and nested PCR method.

Of 300 studied samples, 4 samples (1.3%) were positive for P. vivax and had asymptomatic malaria, of which. Three samples were native to Sistan and Baluchistan and another one was native to Kerman. No species of Plasmodium was observed.

A low prevalence (1.3%) of malaria indicated that it has decreased in Sistan and Baluchistan during the last years and also using the nested PCR technique is suggested to diagnose malaria in asymptomatic patients.