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Severe malaria in immigrant population: a retrospective review

Suja Mathai1, Eliahu Bishburg, Jihad Slim

  • 1Division of Infectious Diseases, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark, NJ 07112, USA.

Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
|May 5, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Imported malaria is a growing US health concern, especially among immigrants visiting malaria-endemic areas. Low malaria prophylaxis use contributes to high severe malaria rates in this population.

Area of Science:

  • * Infectious Diseases
  • * Public Health
  • * Epidemiology

Background:

  • * Imported malaria presents a significant and increasing medical challenge in the United States.
  • * Foreign-born immigrants visiting malaria-endemic countries often forgo malaria prophylaxis due to a misconception of immunity.
  • * This contributes to a substantial proportion of imported malaria cases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To review the epidemiology and clinical presentation of malaria in a community hospital setting.
  • * To determine the rate of malaria prophylaxis use among at-risk populations.
  • * To delineate the incidence of severe malaria within this demographic.

Main Methods:

  • * A retrospective chart review was conducted.
  • * Data were collected from forty patients diagnosed with malaria between 1997 and 2007.
  • * The study focused on patients at a teaching hospital in Newark, NJ, with a large immigrant population.

Main Results:

  • * Ninety percent of malaria cases involved patients born in malaria-endemic areas (MEAs).
  • * Eighty-five percent acquired malaria while visiting the African subcontinent.
  • * The overall malaria prophylaxis rate was low (12%).
  • * Plasmodium falciparum was the most common species.
  • * Twenty-five percent of cases presented as severe malaria, exclusively in foreign-born individuals visiting endemic regions.

Conclusions:

  • * Malaria remains a significant health challenge for immigrants traveling to their countries of origin.
  • * The low uptake of malaria prophylaxis is a major concern, linked to high rates of severe disease.
  • * Primary care physicians are crucial for providing pre-travel advice to prevent malaria complications.

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