Table 2 Biological characteristics of uninfected versus infected children by site

Malaria prevalence (%)

77.3 

53. 6

36.1

21.2

Sex ratio

1.3

1.1

0.543

1.3

1.1

0.709

0.9

0.8

0.325

1.2

0.7

0.101

Mean temperature ± SD (°C)

38.1 ± 1.2

38.5 ± 1.2

0.011

37.7 ± 0.9

38.6 ± 1.3

0.0007

37.6 ± 1.2

38.0 ± 1.0

0.003

38.3 ± 0.9

38.5 ± 1.0

0.38

Mean age ± SD (monthS)

45.8 ± 35.6

50.0 ± 35.0

0.002

40.0 ± 43.3

44.0 ± 39.0

0.22

49.7 ± 38.2

60.8 ± 43.5

0.019

54.1 ± 37.1

78.7 ± 34.0

2.04 × 10 ⁻⁵

Haemoglobin (g/dl)

9.6 ± 2.3

9.4 ± 2.2

0.506

ND

ND

10.1 ± 1.7

8.9 ± 2.0

<0.001

10.3 ± 1.5

9.8 ± 2.0

0.151

WBC (10³/µl)

14.8 ± 11.4

9.5 ± 5.5

0.005

ND

ND

9.9 ± 4.3

8.5 ± 3.1

0.003

9.4 ± 6.7

6.9 ± 3.6

0.001

RBC (10⁶/µl)

3.7 ± 1.2

3.4 ± 0.9

0.103

ND

ND

4.2 ± 0.8

3.7 ± 0.7

<0.001

4.6 ± 2.9

4.1 ± 0.8

0.020

Platelets (10³/µl)

290.3 ± 157.7

115.3 ± 90.5

<0.001

ND

ND

296.4 ± 128.3

146.1 ± 85.7

<0.001

266.9 ± 117.3

179.9 ± 143.3

0.001

Parasitaemia (p/µl)^a

7510 (56–571,200)

34,020 (172–490,200)

4535 (36–38,880)

8574 (420–453,600)

0.0001