Malaria in adult outpatients at Goroka Hospital during 1986

Of 206 adult outpatients attending Goroka Hospital with suspected malaria during 1986, 40.3% had blood slides positive for malaria (28.2% Plasmodium falciparum, 13.6% P. vivax and 1.9% P. malariae). Parasite densities and proportions of cases with gametocytes were higher than observed in endemic regions. Acquisition of infection during recent coastal travel was implicated in the majority of cases (86%). 6 out of 13 gametocyte carriers tested were infectious to Anopheles farauti mosquitos. Anti-malaria ELISA values in sera were elevated above non-immune values in over 75% of infections, although ELISA values were low compared to those in sera from residents of coastal areas, indicating the low level of previous exposure to malaria.