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Challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of malaria in Polish workers returning from Africa: a case series and review of literature
Affiliations- Department of Tropical and Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdynia, Poland
- University Center of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Gdynia, Poland
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Epidemiology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdynia, Poland
- Department of Epidemiology and Tropical Medicine, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
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Abstract
Malaria is a parasitic disease caused in humans by five species of Plasmodium: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale, and P. knowlesi and transmitted through a female mosquito bite. In 2020, there were 241 million cases of malaria worldwide including 627,000 deaths. Traveling to malaria endemic areas is a significant risk factor, therefore, it is very important to use non-specific and pharmacological prophylaxis. Malaria symptoms usually appear 10–14 days after infection and the disease may be suspected, based on patient examination and medical history, in patients with fever who have stayed in malaria endemic areas. The initial symptoms of the disease are not pathognomonic and it is important to remember that not all malaria patients develop a fever. A prerequisite for successful treatment of this potentially life-threatening disease is well-targeted, timely diagnosis and immediate implementation of antiparasitic therapy. Despite significant progress in the fight against malaria across the world, the disease still poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge, especially when it develops as a result of an imported infection and when diagnosis is complicated by the presence of other diseases. A professional group that requires special attention are maritime workers. In this study we present clinical cases of malaria which show how important it is in the clinical practice of various specialists to include malaria in the differential diagnosis of patients with fever returning from tropical regions.
Abstract
Malaria is a parasitic disease caused in humans by five species of Plasmodium: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale, and P. knowlesi and transmitted through a female mosquito bite. In 2020, there were 241 million cases of malaria worldwide including 627,000 deaths. Traveling to malaria endemic areas is a significant risk factor, therefore, it is very important to use non-specific and pharmacological prophylaxis. Malaria symptoms usually appear 10–14 days after infection and the disease may be suspected, based on patient examination and medical history, in patients with fever who have stayed in malaria endemic areas. The initial symptoms of the disease are not pathognomonic and it is important to remember that not all malaria patients develop a fever. A prerequisite for successful treatment of this potentially life-threatening disease is well-targeted, timely diagnosis and immediate implementation of antiparasitic therapy. Despite significant progress in the fight against malaria across the world, the disease still poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge, especially when it develops as a result of an imported infection and when diagnosis is complicated by the presence of other diseases. A professional group that requires special attention are maritime workers. In this study we present clinical cases of malaria which show how important it is in the clinical practice of various specialists to include malaria in the differential diagnosis of patients with fever returning from tropical regions.
Keywords
Plasmodium, malaria, fever, tropical medicine
About this articleTitle
Challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of malaria in Polish workers returning from Africa: a case series and review of literature
Journal
Issue
Article type
Case report
Pages
46-51
Published online
2022-03-31
Page views
5345
Article views/downloads
818
DOI
Pubmed
Bibliographic record
IMH 2022;73(1):46-51.
Keywords
Plasmodium
malaria
fever
tropical medicine
Authors
Natalia Kulawiak
Sebastian Borys
Anna Roszko-Wysokińska
Natalia Zgud-Jankowska
Krzysztof Korzeniewski
Katarzyna Sikorska
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