Seven cases of imported malaria with recurrence

Year 2021, Volume: 3 Issue: 4, 333 - 335, 24.09.2021

Fatma Kesmez Can , Handan Alay , Mehmet Parlak

https://doi.org/10.38053/acmj.962304

Abstract

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by Plasmodium species parasites and transmitted to humans by the Anopheles mosquito. The malaria parasites responsible for infection in humans are Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malaria, and Plasmodium knowlesi. Although malaria cases originating from Turkey no longer occur, cases originating from abroad are still seen. This report evaluates the epidemiological and clinical characteristics and histories of seven imported malaria cases. All seven cases in this report had a history of travel to African countries together with fever (>39°C), weakness, headache, tremor, sweating, cough, general body pain, and severe shortness of breath. Appropriate treatment was arranged once the necessary examinations had been performed. All patients but one responded to treatment. The non-responsive patient re-presented after 15 days with similar complaints. Primaquine therapy at 15 mg tablet 2×1 was administered, and that patient was discharged after 14 days. The most effective means of bringing malaria under control involves rapid diagnosis and effective treatment. We wish to emphasize that imported cases may be seen in non-endemic regions due to international travel. The travel history of patients in sporadic regions should be investigated, and malaria should be considered in the presence of fever in order to ensure early diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords

Malaria, Fever, Plasmodium falciparum, Infectious disease

References

• Topçu AW, Soyletir G, Doğanay ME, editors. Infectious diseases and microbiology. İstanbul: Nobel Medical Bookstores; 2017. p. 887-905.
• World Health Organization. World malaria report 2017, WHO Press, Geneva, Switzerland.
• Parlak E, Ertürk A, Çayır Y, Parlak M. Four malaria-import patterns: sporadic region. Turkiye Parazitol Derg 2013; 37: 161-7.
• World Health Organisation (WHO). Guidelines for the treatment of malaria. Second edition.2015.Availableat:https://www.who.int/malaria/publications/atoz/mpac_report_september_2014.pdf (Accessed on 3 July 2021).
• Ulçay A, Karaahmetoğlu G, Turhan V, et al. The management of therapeutic failure in a falciparum malaria patient under oral arthemether lumefantrine therapy. Turkiye Parazitol Derg 2014; 38: 61-7.
• Valecha N, Srivastava P, Mohanty SS, et al. Therapeutic efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine in uncomplicated falciparum malaria in India. Malar J 2009; 8: 107.
• Askling HH, Bruneel F, Burchard G, et al. Management of imported malaria in Europe. Malar J 2012; 11: 328.
• Bayındır Y, Aycan OM, Atambay M, et al. The first appearance in Malatya of falciparum malaria originating in Uganda: Two cases, Turkiye Parazitol Derg 2005; 29: 157-9.