Abstract
<p> The study was conducted on six hundred and fifteen randomly selected subjects presented with clinical history and symptoms of malaria fever in General Hospital in Zing Local Government Area, Taraba State, Nigeria. Prior to the commencement of sample collection, informed consent was sought and obtained from the management of the Hospital and the subjects. Blood specimens collected from the subjects were used for malaria parasite identification by thick film microscopy, and also for rapid tile blood grouping. Any Rhesus D negative result was confirmed by tube grouping using Anti-Human-globulin. On the overall, 86.9% of the subjects examined had malaria parasite in their blood. Blood group O individuals, 41.0% were more frequently encountered, while group AB, 15.12% were least common than other ABO blood groups. Also Rhesus D positive individuals, 84.6% were more frequently seen than their Rhesus D negative, 15.5% counterparts. Although blood group O individuals appeared to be more predisposed(91.3%) to malaria infection than the rest ABO blood groups, statistical analysis showed no significant difference in the distribution of ABO blood groups with respect to malaria Parasite infection(P>0.05). Frequency of malaria infection was also not significantly higher among Rhesus D positive subjects (91.9%) than their Rhesus D negative (60.0%) counterparts (P>0.05).</p>
