Prevalence of malaria: A 7-year trend analysis from a tertiary care center, Puducherry

BACKGROUND: Battle against malaria has been going on since time immemorial. Understanding the true burden of disease and the determinants of its transmission are important for implementing adequate control measures. This study intends to explore the local epidemiology and burden of malaria in Puducherry, a coastal Union territory located in the Southern part of India over a period of 7 years. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective record-based study was conducted from 2015 to 2021, where details from all samples that tested positive for malaria by peripheral blood examination or rapid card test, from suspected cases were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of malaria over the 7 years was 1.7% (257/14,888). Majority of the patients were male (75.88%) and the major age group affected was from 21 to 40 years (56.03%). The disease was maximum seen during the monsoon season followed by the post-monsoon season. Vivax malaria predominated irrespective of the gender, seasonal change, and different age groups except in children <10 years was both falciparum and vivax malaria were seen in equivalence. The major species to cause infection among infants were Plasmodium falciparum (3/4). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study shows a declining trend of malaria transmission over the years. There is no change in the predominant species affected or seasonal trends over the years. The possibility of underestimation of cases due to various factors cannot be ignored.