[Malaria. An evaluation of 127 patients treated in Rigshospitalet in 1999 and 2000]

The incidence of malaria has increased globally to 500 million cases a year. Imported malaria in travellers comprises only a small fraction, but the disease has become a serious problem in Europe and the United States. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the epidemiological and clinical aspects of patients with imported malaria in Denmark.

All patients treated for malaria at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, in 1999-2000 were evaluated retrospectively. Age, sex, nationality, destination, chemoprophylaxis, symptoms, duration of symptoms, parasitaemia, treatment, and complications were registered.

Seventy per cent of the patients had falciparum malaria. Of these, 95% had been infected in Africa and 46% of these patients were Africans living in Denmark. Only 50% of all patients had been taking chemoprophylaxis and of these only half had been compliant. Chloroquine and proguanile were most commonly used. Seven patients had parasitaemia above 5%, but only one of these developed complicated malaria.

The risk of complicated malaria in this series was low and seems to be related to lack of chemoprophylaxis, advanced age, and duration of symptoms.