Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia and Pfk13 gene detection among patients attending selected health facilities in Ota Metropolis, Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Malaria remains a major public health concern in Africa, driven largely by mutations in the kelch13 (PfKelch13) gene. This study assessed the demographic characteristics of age and gender in relation to the presence of the PfKelch13 gene among patients infected with P. falciparum at selected health facilities in Ota metropolis of Ogun State, Nigeria.

Methodology: Demographic information from 479 patients with suspected severe P. falciparum malaria was analyzed. Blood samples were examined microscopically for infective stages and parasitemia levels, while PfKelch13 was genotyped with primary and nested PCR.

Results: Out of the 479 participants, 265 (55.33%) tested positive for P. falciparum. The highest prevalence (33.61%) occurred in the 11–20-year age group, and males accounted for 29.44% of infections (p < 0.05). Higher parasitemia levels (> 200 parasites/100 μL) were frequent among males aged 0–10 and 11–20 years. The PfKelch13 gene was successfully amplified by PCR in 46.7% of the selected samples, with a slightly higher proportion among males (53.6%).

Conclusions: Age and gender affected the prevalence of P. falciparum parasitemia in the study population. However, no statistically significant association was observed between age and PfKelch13 positivity. There is a need for population-centered genomic surveillance, targeted public health interventions, and supportive diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to limit the spread of potential artemisinin-resistant strains.