FAILURE OF PASSIVE ZOOPROPHYLAXIS - CATTLE OWNERSHIP IN PAKISTAN IS ASSOCIATED WITH A HIGHER PREVALENCE OF MALARIA

To examine the possibility that domestic cattle kept in house courtyar ds might protect occupants against malaria through zooprophylaxis, par asite prevalence surveys were conducted of schoolchildren in Pakistani and Afghan refugee villages and analysed according to whether each ch ild's family kept cattle. Parasite prevalence (15.2%) was significantl y greater among children of families which kept cattle than among thos e which did not (9.5%). Comparison of prevalence between different vil lages revealed a positive correlation between parasite rates and the p roportion of families owning cattle. The latter finding supports the p rediction of the Sota-Mogi theoretical model that domestic animals can enhance rather than reduce malaria transmission when vectors are zoop hilic, the infection rate low, and the human:cattle ratio high. All th ese conditions applied in the study area.