Abstract: Journal of Medical Images and Medical Education Research

Abstract:
Background: Reticulocytes are young, non-nucleated red blood cells that originate from the maturation pro cess of normoblasts in the bone marrow. Reticulocyte count is an important indicator of bone marrow response to anemia, including that caused by malaria. Plasmodium falciparum is the causative agent of falciparum malaria, while P. vivax causes tertian malaria. Both types are transmitted through the bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes and present with similar clinical symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, headache, and joint pain. However, they differ in the onset and pattern of fever.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the differences in reticulocyte count and parasite density of P. falci parum and P. vivax in patients with falciparum and tertian malaria, respectively, at Sentani Public Health Center.

Methods: This was a descriptive study using a cross-sectional design. A total of 75 patients diagnosed with malaria were included in the sample.

Results: In patients with falciparum malaria, increased reticulocyte counts were observed at parasitemia level +2 in 10(25%) patients, at level +3 in 6 (15%) patients, and at level +4 in 2(5%) patients. Meanwhile, in pa tients with tertian malaria (P. vivax), increased reticulocyte counts were observed starting at parasitemia level +1 in 4 (11.4%) patients, level +2 in 6(17%) patients, level +3 in 5(14.3%) patients, and level +4 in 5(14.3%) patients.

Conclusion: This study shows that in falciparum malaria, reticulocyte count increases were found starting from parasitemia levels +2 to +4. In contrast in patients infected with P. vivax, increased reticulocyte counts were observed across a wider range of parasitemia levels, from +1 to +4. These findings indicate a differing pattern of bone marrow response to parasitic infection in the two types of malaria.