[Imported malaria in Bordeaux in 1989. Epidemiologic, clinical and therapeutic study of 71 cases]

In 1989 there were 71 cases of imported malaria admitted to the hospital in Bordeaux. This is 16.5% and 29% lower than in 1988 and 1987 respectively, thanks to the widespread use in Africa of mefloquine chemoprophylaxis. Sub-Saharan Africa is involved in 95% of cases, mainly West Africa (70% of cases), unlike the situation in 1987, and the first cases of paludism despite mefloquine chemoprophylaxis appeared during the second semester from the seasonal mid-summer recrudescence onwards, in travellers returning from this region. The most frequent species is still Plasmodium falciparum (80% of declared cases). This imported disease especially affects young adults despite regular prophylaxis in 59% of cases. It is therefore important to recommend rigorous protection against anopheles. Male predominance (sex ratio: 5.5) was greater in 1989 than in the previous two years, and French nationals represented 85% of the population. Falciparum malaria presents symptoms in 95% of cases before the end of the month following the patient's return to France, while for P. ovale the time for symptoms to appear is between 39 days and two years after return. Management of patients on their return poses a problem of information, since in 40% of cases diagnosis is made more than a week after the first symptoms. Attacks are mild in most cases (93%); among the serious cases death occurred in a 3-year-old child. Thrombopenia is the most frequent biological sign (22.5% of cases), followed to a lesser degree by anaemia and leukopenia. Mild attacks respond well to classical treatment (halofantrine, mefloquine, quinine, chloroquine), while two cases of more complicated symptoms required exchange transfusion.