[Difficult diagnosis of the plasmodial species]

We reported a case of malaria in a 37 years-old French woman. The first crisis occurred 8 months after coming back from an endemic area. Plasmodium falciparum was the responsible species. After 3 months' clinical latence, the patient had a new malarial crisis, but P. vivax malaria. Pictures of polyparasitism and the almost total absence of Schüffner granulations were noted. This double malaria infection and the involvement of atypical plasmodial strains are discussed.