Antimalarial activity of the crude aqueous leaf extract of Pyrenacantha staudtii was evaluated using chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei infection in mice with an objective to finding scientific evidence for the use of the plant as traditional antimalarial remedy in Ido/Osi LGA of Ekiti state, Nigeria. The crude aqueous extract of P. staudtii Engl. (Icacinaceae) (100, 200 and 500 mg/kg) was administered orally to mice infected with P. berghei in 4 days suppressive test. The antiplasmodial effect during the test of the plant in blood was determined and the extract at these doses induced 58.0 to 63.4% activity in comparison with untreated (negative) control group. Chloroquine produced 100% activity. The antimalarial activity showed by P. staudtii during the test justifies its use in traditional medicine for treating of malaria in the area.

Introduction: Malaria is one of the leading parasitic diseases worldwide with Nigeria ranked the topmost country in the tropical Africa where the disease is prevalent. This study was designed with the aim to determine the prevalence of malaria parasite (MP) infection in some periurban and rural communities of Ekiti State being one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Three periurban and rural communities were randomly selected in Ekiti State for the study. Blood samples were collected and examined microscopically for the presence of MP in dry and raining seasons among human volunteers in each community. Prevalence of MP infection was determined. Results: Overall prevalence of MP infection was 26% in dry season and 38% in raining season (P = .001). In dry season, prevalence of MP infection was 22.3% in periurban communities and 31.3% in rural communities (P = .001). During the raining season the prevalence was 39.8% in periurban and 35.9% in rural communities (P = .12), with Plasmodium falciparum being the dominant species. Children of 0-5 years had the highest prevalence of infection (61.1%) during raining season while teenagers between 16-20 years had the highest prevalence of infection (31.5%) in the dry season. Generally, there was an increase in malaria parasite density during raining season. Conclusion: This study confirmed the existence of MP infection in Ekiti State. The distribution of MP infection in both periurban and rural communities was affected by season with higher prevalence occurring during the raining season.

Malaria vectors are found virtually in all communities of Nigeria. Understanding the transmitting potential of these vectors in  relationship with the malaria parasite (MP) infection is essential to design a sustainable community base control programme. This study aimed at determining this relationship in six communities in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The communities were randomly selected through a multistage sampling. Blood samples were screened for MPinfection among human volunteers during dry and rainy seasons in each community. Adult mosquitoes were collected indoors for twelve months in the communities using light traps. Female  Anopheles mosquitoes collected were characterized by Polymerase Chain Reactions and circumsporozoite proteins of the infected mosquitoes were detected by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. Prevalence of MP infection, human biting rates (HBR), sporozoite rates and entomological inoculation rates (EIRs) were determined using appropriate formulae. Overall prevalence of MPinfection was 26% in dry season and 38% in rainy season (P=0.001). Female Anopheles mosquitoes collected were 428. Strong relationship existed between HBR and MP infection in rainy  season (R2 = 0.671) but the relationship was weak (R2 = 0.209) in dry season. Sporozoites were detected in 2.3% of the female Anopheles mosquitoes collected. EIRs were between 0.100 - 0.252 infective bites/person/night.  Transmission of malaria parasites occurred throughout the year particularly during rainy season when there were recorded EIRs. Malaria control interventions will be more appropriate during raining season in this region. Keywords: Anophelesmosquitoes, Nigeria, transmission, malaria, season

Understanding the relationship between climate variables and mosquito abundance is an important factor to determine parasite activity levels and disease risk since various mosquito genera are vectors of parasitic diseases. This necessitated the investigation of relationship between climatic variables and mosquito abundance in Ekiti State, Nigeria with reference to six selected communities. Adult mosquitoes were collected indoor for twelve months in these communities using light traps. The abundance of collected mosquitoes was related with climatic variables (rainfall, relative humidity and temperature). One thousand two hundred and seventeen (1217) adult mosquitoes were collected indoor in all the communities. The population of the mosquito genera was significantly higher (P=0.01) in rainy season than dry season. Average rainfall showed a strong relationship (R2= 0.751) with Anopheles abundance but relationship was weak for both Culex (R2= 0.236) and Aedes (R2= 0.042). The relationship of relative humidity and average temperature with abundance of mosquito genera was generally weak. Since the abundance of mosquito genera was higher in all the communities during rainy season than dry season it will be more appropriate to control mosquitoes in the communities during the rainy season.