Assessing the distribution of ABO blood groups and how they are linked to Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Yashiid District, Somalia

• Published in: The Egyptian journal of haematology : the official journal of the Egyptian Society of Haematology 2024-07, Vol.49 (3), p.272
• Main Authors: Mude, Abdirasak S. A, Agena, Abd Elhadi M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Anopheles; Chronic diseases; Disease susceptibility; Ethical aspects; Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; Health aspects; Malaria; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Monoclonal antibodies; Plasmodium falciparum; Prevalence studies (Epidemiology); Risk factors
• ISSN: 1110-1067
• DOI: 10.4103/ejh.ejh_84_23

Background Evaluation of the ABO blood group distribution and its connection with Plasmodium falciparum infection is crucial for transfusion therapy and malaria prevention. The goal of this study was to assess the distribution of ABO blood groups, and how they are linked to Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Yashiid District, Southern Somalia. Method From January to September 2022, a hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted. For data collection, a structured questionnaire was used. After each participant had given their informed consent to take part in the study, a blood sample was taken from them. Monoclonal antibodies were used for blood grouping. Plasmodium falciparum was investigated on thin and thick blood films. SPSS version 25.0 was used to analyze the data. Results This study included 925 febrile patients of different age groups. In this study, 45.9% of the people who took part had the O blood group phenotype. This was followed by B (27%), A (21.6%), and AB (5.4%). The overall prevalence of P. falciparum infection in this study was 63.7%. The highest rates of P. falciparum positivity (34%) are seen in patients aged 21-40 years and those 61 years and older. About 66% of P. falciparum cases were found in men. Those who resided in cities (81.3%), had no school education (50.8%), were married (50.9%), and had jobs (77.2%) had the greatest prevalence of P. falciparum positivity. Those patients who did not consume meat or fruits/vegetables made up 66% and 79.6%, respectively. Moreover, 83% of those who did not use mosquito nets had P. falciparum parasites. P. falciparum was detected in 55.2% of those with chronic illness and in 29.7% of those with an intestinal parasite. Also, this study found that the overall ABO group distribution in P. falciparum cases was ‘O' 45.9%, ‘B' 27%, ‘A' 21.6%, and ‘AB' 5.4%. Conclusion According to the current study, people with blood groups O, B, and A are more susceptible to P. falciparum infection than people with blood group AB. There were no deaths among the P. falciparum malaria patients during the research period. A more complete examination is required to confirm the ABO blood group's role in P. falciparum malaria in Southern Somalia with certainty. Keywords: ABO, plasmodium falciparum, Malaria