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Plasmodium knowlesi malaria in children

Bridget E Barber1, Timothy William, Mohammad Jikal

  • 1Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. bridget.barber@menzies.edu.au

Emerging Infectious Diseases
|May 3, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Plasmodium knowlesi is the most common cause of childhood malaria in Kudat, Malaysia. While generally uncomplicated, knowlesi malaria in children frequently causes anemia and universal thrombocytopenia.

Area of Science:

  • Tropical Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Parasitology

Background:

  • Plasmodium knowlesi causes severe malaria in adults, but clinical disease in children is poorly described.
  • Understanding Plasmodium knowlesi epidemiology in pediatric populations is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the clinical presentation and outcomes of Plasmodium knowlesi malaria in children.
  • To compare Plasmodium knowlesi infections with Plasmodium falciparum infections in children.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of pediatric malaria cases (<15 years) at Kudat District Hospital, Sabah, Malaysia (Jan-Nov 2009).
  • Comparison of 16 children with PCR-confirmed P. knowlesi monoinfection against 14 children with P. falciparum monoinfection.

Main Results:

  • Plasmodium knowlesi was the most frequent cause of childhood malaria in the study area.
  • Children with P. knowlesi malaria exhibited common anemia (hemoglobin <10.0 g/dL) and universal thrombocytopenia (median 76,500/μL).
  • Parasite clearance was rapid (median 2 days) with chloroquine and primaquine treatment.

Conclusions:

  • Plasmodium knowlesi is a significant cause of pediatric malaria in Kudat, often presenting with anemia and thrombocytopenia.
  • Further investigation into P. knowlesi transmission dynamics in this region is warranted.
  • Clinical management guidelines for pediatric knowlesi malaria should consider hematological complications.

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