The Rhesus ABO Blood Group Distribution among Malaria Patients

Malaria is transmitted throughout Nigeria, with the majority of the population at risk of being infected with the disease. This study investigated the relationship between the ABO/Rhesus blood group types and malaria susceptibility in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 13, 2025, to May 22, 2025, in Nasarawa State. Convenient sampling was used to select the study participants. A total of 384 malaria patients, diagnosed by microscopy, were enrolled, and their blood group types were determined using the tile method. The results showed a higher prevalence of malaria in females (59.9%) than in males (40.1%). The age group 21-30 years had the highest prevalence (38.5%). The ABO/Rhesus blood group types revealed the following pattern of distribution for malaria positive individuals: ORh+ > BRh+ > ARh+ > ORh- > ARh- > ABRh+ > BRh- > ABRh- with the following distribution: 46.9%, 25.3%, 16.1%, 4.9%,3.1%, 2.9%, 0.5% and 0.3% respectively. Although statistically insignificant, the results showed that individuals with ORh+ had the highest prevalence of malaria in the study area, followed by those with BRh+ and ARh+. The findings suggest that blood group may not be the sole significant predictor of malaria susceptibility in this population. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore other biological markers that may influence susceptibility to malaria infection. These findings have implications for public health strategies, particularly in high-transmission areas, and underscore the need for expanded multi-regional studies to further elucidate the complex relationships between blood group types and malaria susceptibility. This could inform personalized medicine and contribute to understanding malaria susceptibility in similar populations.