Haematological and Biochemical Alterations in School-aged Children Infected with Giardia lamblia and Plasmodium Spp. in Owerri West, Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Parasitic infections such as giardiasis and malaria are endemic in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa and disproportionately affect children. It remain a significant public health challenge, particularly among school-aged children in developing countries, where access to clean water and healthcare is limited. This study investigated the haematological and biochemical alterations associated with infections of Giardia lamblia, Plasmodium spp. and their co-infection among pupils aged 5–15 years in Owerri West LGA, Imo State, Nigeria. A total of 108 stool and blood samples were analysed using standard parasitological, haematological and biochemical techniques. Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Prevalence rates showed that 72.22% of the pupils were infected with at least one parasite: 25.64% were infected with G. lamblia alone, 43.5% with Plasmodium spp., and 30.76% had co-infections, while 27.78% were parasite-free. Haematological results showed lower values in red blood cell (RBC) count, packed cell volume (PCV) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) among infected groups compared to the control group. RBC ranged from 1.40 × 10¹²± 0.02 /L in co-infected pupils to 2.90 × 10¹² ± 0.60/L in Giardia-infected pupils, compared to 4.15× 10¹² ± 0.40/L in controls. PCV dropped from 36.45 ± 0.21% in controls to as low as 23.12 ± 0.33% in co-infected individuals. MCV followed a similar trend, falling from 81.4 ± 0.68 fL in controls to 63.0 ± 1.04 fL in co-infected cases. Biochemical analysis revealed reductions in serum total protein and albumin among infected pupils. The total protein in the control group was 8.1 ± 0.46 g/100 mL, while the co-infected pupils had 3.40 ± 0.30 g/100 mL. Albumin levels also declined, with co-infected pupils showing 2.18 ± 0.04 g/100ml compared to 4.25 ± 0.03 g/100ml in controls. The observed alterations demonstrate the impact of parasitic infections, particularly in cases of co-infection, highlighting the clinical implications and need for targeted intervention to mitigate health risks in affected populations. The alterations observed in red blood cell indices, white blood cell counts, and protein levels collectively demonstrate the impact of parasitic infections, particularly in cases of co-infection, highlighting the clinical implications and need for targeted intervention to mitigate health risks in affected populations.