Study of association of thrombocytopenia with plasmodium vivax infection

Abstract

Background: Malaria is a protozoan disease, transmitted by the bite of infected female anopheles mosquito. It is the most important parasitic disease of human with transmission in 107 countries containing three billion people and causing 1 3 million deaths each year. P. Vivax and P. Falciparum infections are always associated with haematological abnormalities like normocytic normochromic anaemia, initial leukocytosis followed by leukopenia with monocytosis and thrombocytopenia. Materials and methods: Total 250 indoor patients of medicine and paediatric department, over the period of 2 years from April 2007 to March 2009, were included in the study. All the study subjects were identified positive for malaria parasites on peripheral blood smear examination with conventional microscopy. For the conformation of the isolated infections of P. Falciparum and P. Vivax, we had also used 'OptiMAL ® Rapid Malaria Dipstick Test'. Platelet count was done on a fully automated, quantitative Abacus BC 3200 Auto Haematology Analyzer. Results: Severe thrombocytopenia is more common with P. Falciparum (20.83%) and mixed infection (16.67%) as compared to P. Vivax infection (7.33%), although P. Vivax infection had significant number of cases with moderate (36.67%) and mild thrombocytopenia (38%). Conclusion: Presence of thrombocytopenia is not a distinguishing feature between the P. Falciparum and P. Vivax infection. In patients with acute febrile illness and with marked thrombocytopenia, P. Vivax should also be kept as a differential diagnosis.