[Diagnosis and treatment for three imported Plasmodium malariae malaria cases in Henan Province]

Giemsa-stained blood film microscopy, CareStart rapid detection and PCR were used to detect the three cases who returned from Angola and Equatorial Guinea to Henan Province. Onset of malaria symptoms for two patients occurred 15 d and 27 d after their return from Angola, respectively. Two months after returning home, another case relapsed who had suffered from malaria in Equatorial Guinea. All three patients had the symptoms such as irregular fever, headache, chills and so on. Two cases had elevated total bilirubin and splenomegaly. The cases were confirmed as P. malariae infection by microscopic morphological examination. Amplified bands were produced by 18S rRNA nested PCR, which was the same with P. malariae in size, whereas the results of CareStart repaid detection test were all negative. They were cured by using artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT).