ANTIBODY FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION CURVE FOR RISK ASSESSMENT OF A MALARIA EPIDEMIC IN THE SUDAN

Abstract

A seroepidemiological study of the prevalence of malaria, employing the frequency distribution curve of ELISA titers, was conducted. Comparison of the shape of the curves obtained in the two villages in the Sudan before and after the flood of the Blue Nile in 1988, clearly demonstrated the existence of certain malarial foci which might pose a potential risk for development of malaria epidemics in the area, although these malarial foci could not be detected by either slidepositivity rate or seropositivity rate. Thus, application of this method is of considerable value in identifying latent malarial foci where control measures should be strengthened.