Prevalence of ABO Blood Groups and Its Relationship with Malaria Parasitemia among Students of Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State

There are different reports on the increasing evidence about the relationship between Plasmodium falciparum malaria and ABO blood group, but the range is yet to be understood. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of malaria parasite and its relationship with ABO blood and rhesus grouping among newly admitted students of FUTA. Two millilitres (2 ml) of venous blood was collected by venipuncture using 5 ml hypodermic needles and syringes from 312 symptomatic and asymptomatic malaria students. Blood samples were immediately dispensed into Ethylene Diamine Tetra-Acetic acid (EDTA) anticoagulated containers and mixed appropriately. ABO blood typing using monoclonal Antisera A, B and D was carried out on samples. The 312 samples analysed were made up of 126 (40.4%) rhesus positive and 10(3.21%) rhesus negative. In decreasing order, 60.0%, 45.3%,39.1% and 37.3% students occurred in blood group AB, O, A and B respectively. On the whole, 136(43.6%) of total samples processed, were positive for malaria parasitaemia out of which Plasmodium falciparum account for 82(60.3%). 97(46.2%) and 39(38.2%) of total male and female subjects were infected. Malaria parasitaemia seemed to be relatively high across all blood groups with groups O and AB subjects more susceptible to malaria infection. There was no significant difference in age group and sex (P>0.05) of the subjects while there was a significant difference in prevalence of malaria parasite and blood groups (P<0.05).