Current Research in Medical Sciences

Background and Objective: At present, malaria is considered as one of the most important health problem in many countries. The present study aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of malaria in Babol, Mazandaran.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from May to November 2010. The required information of disease and demographic characteristics of patients were collected from The Vice-Chancellery
for Health of Babol University of Medical Sciences. SPSS v16 software were used to analyze data and create tables and graphs.

Findings: A total of 262 malaria cases were reported during 1986 to 2009, that 79.4% of them were male and others were female. The highest incidence rate of the disease was observed in cases more than 15 years old (88.5%), in 1986 (18.3%), with a peak in July. ABER (Annual Blood Examination Rate), API (Annual Parasite Incidence) and SPR (Slide Positivity Rate) indicators have declined over the years. The strongest positive correlation was observed between malaria incidence and minimum air temperature (r=+991, p<0.05). In contrast, the incidence of malaria had the strongest negative correlation with the relative humidity at noon (r=863, p< 0.05).

Conclusion: The findings show a downward trend in the malaria incidence rate in Babol. Regarding the malaria eradication program in Iran until 2025, similar studies are recommended in the other parts of the country, particularly in endemic areas of the South and South-Eastern areas.