TABLE 1.
Demographic and clinical parameters of the participants in the study (median, interquartile range)
| Urban area (Franceville) | Semi‐urban area (Makokou) | Rural area (Mulundu) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uninfected | Asymptomatic‐infected | p a | Uninfected | Asymptomatic‐infected | p a | Uninfected | Asymptomatic‐infected | p | |
| n = 33 | n = 17 | n = 32 | 19 | 88 | 84 | ||||
| Sex ratio | 0.83 | 1.13 | 0.68 | 1.38 | 1.05 | 0.87 | |||
| Age (IQR) months | 84 (72–102) | 108 (84–124) | 0.020 * | 96 (84–132) | 108 (72–132) | 0.759 | 92 (52–133) | 90 (60–118) | 0.921a |
| Temperature (IQR) °C | 36.5 (36.3–36.8) | 36.6 (36.6–37.2) | 0.066 | 37.0 (36.4–37.2) | 37.0 (36.6–37.1) | 0.533 | 36.6 (36.2–36.9) | 36.7 (36.1–37.1) | 0.260a |
| White blood cells (IQR) 103cells/mm3 | 5.90 (5.50–7.25) | 6.20 (5.80–6.95) | 0.696 | 7.15 (6.23–7.98) | 7.50 (5.20–9.70) | 0.527 | ND | ND | |
| Red blood cells (IQR) 103cells/mm3 | 4.57 (4.35–4.81) | 4.27 (3.95–4.49) | 0.004 * | 4.29 (4.03–4.57) | 4.42 (3.63–4.75) | 0.95 | ND | ND | |
| Hemoglobin (IQR) g/dl | 10.5 (9.70–11.2) | 10.3 (8.85–10.7) | 0.167 | 10.6 (10.0–11.0) | 9.70 (9.0–11.0) | 0.091 | ND | ND | |
| Platelets (IQR) 103cells/mm3 | 253 (206–298) | 241 (203–271) | 0.327 | 354 (276–433) | 306 (219–364) | 0.063 | ND | ND | |
| Parasitemia (IQR) parasites/µl | 1295 (560–3815) | 4590 (1820–9785) | 3500 (1260–6580) | 0.028* b | |||||
Sex ratio, age, temperature, leukocyte counts, hemoglobin concentrations and parasite densities in asymptomatic uninfected and infected children according to the study site (urban, semi‐urban and rural areas). The uninfected children were defined as Plasmodium falciparum‐exposed children, negative for parasites in thick blood smears and/or in rapid detection test kits.
Abbreviations: IQR, interquartile range; ND, not determined.
Significant levels were calculated using a Mann–Whitney rank sum analysis and bKruskal–Wallis analysis.
The bold‐type figures are to highlight the significant p‐values.
*
p < 0.05.