Sánchez BS, Tato LMP, Martín SG, Pérez E, Grasa C, Valderrama S, Augusto ID, Sierra M, Ros MG, Aguado I, Hortelano MGL. Imported malaria in children in Madrid, Spain, 2007-2013.
Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin 2017;
35:348-353. [PMID:
28237435 DOI:
10.1016/j.eimc.2016.11.014]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/27/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The majority of malaria cases diagnosed in Europe in the last few years have occurred in people living in non-endemic areas travelling back to their home country to visit friends and relatives (VFRs). Children account for 15-20% of imported malaria, with known higher risk of severe disease.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A retrospective multicentre study was conducted in 24 hospitals in Madrid (Spain) including patients under 16 years diagnosed with malaria (2007-2013).
RESULTS
A total of 149 episodes in 147 children were reported. Plasmodium falciparum was the species most commonly isolated. Twenty-five patients developed severe malaria and there was one death related to malaria. VFR accounted for 45.8% of our children. Only 17 VFRs had received prophylaxis, and 4 of them taken appropriately. They presented more frequently with fever (98% vs. 69%), a longer time with fever (55 vs. 26%), delay in diagnosis of more than three days (62 vs. 37%), and more thrombocytopenia (65 vs. 33%) than non-VFRs, and with significant differences (p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
VFRs represent a large proportion of imported malaria cases in our study. They seldom took adequate prophylaxis, and delayed the visit to the physician, increasing the length of fever and subsequent delaying in diagnosis. Appropriate preventive measures, such as education and pre-travel advices should be taken in this population.
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