%0 Journal Article
%T Climatic variables and malaria transmission dynamics in Jimma town, South West Ethiopia
%A Abebe Alemu
%A Gemeda Abebe
%A Wondewossen Tsegaye
%A Lemu Golassa
%J Parasites & Vectors
%D 2011
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1756-3305-4-30
%X Time-series analysis was conducted using data on monthly meteorological variables and monthly total malaria in Jimma town, south west Ethiopia, for the period 2000-2009. All the data were entered and analyzed using SPSS-15 database program. Spearman correlation and linear regression analysis were used to asses association between the variables.During last ten years (2000-2009), a fluctuating trend of malaria transmission was observed with P.vivax becoming predominant species. Spearman correlation analysis showed that monthly minimum temperature, total rainfall and two measures of relative humidity were positively related with malaria but monthly maximum temperature negatively related. Also regression analysis suggested that monthly minimum (p = 0.008), monthly maximum temperature (p = 0.013) and monthly total rainfall (p = 0.040), at one month lagged effect, were significant meteorological factors for transmission of malaria in the study area.Malaria incidences in the last decade seem to have a significant association with meteorological variables. In future, prospective and multidisciplinary cooperative research involving researchers from the fields of parasitology, epidemiology, botany, agriculture and climatology is necessary to identify the real effect of meteorological factors on vector- borne diseases like malaria.Malaria is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium. It is one of the leading causes of illness and death in the world. Nine out of ten of these deaths occur in Africa and the rest occur in Asia and Latin America, being the world's most prevalent vector-borne disease. It is the fourth leading cause of death of children under the age of five years and pregnant women in developing countries [1,2]. Also, the disease remains one of the most important causes of human morbidity and mortality with enormous medical, economic and emotional impact in the world. More than half of the world's population is at risk of acquiring malaria, and the propo
%U http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/4/1/30