Malaria in US Marines returning from Somalia
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Myeloid Cell Isolation from Mouse Skin and Draining Lymph Node Following Intradermal Immunization with Live Attenuated Plasmodium Sporozoites
Published on: May 18, 2016
J A Newton1, G A Schnepf, M R Wallace
1Department of Internal Medicine, Naval Medical Center, San Diego, Calif. 92134-5000.
Objective:
To identify malaria in US Marines returning from Somalia and to determine their compliance with chemoprophylaxis.
Design:
Case series.
Setting:
The US Navy health care system.
Patients:
Consecutive sample of 106 US Marines diagnosed with malaria after returning from Somalia in 1993.
Main Outcome Measures:
Identification of the incidence and clinical features of imported malaria. Determination of compliance with chemoprophylaxis in this cohort.
Results:
As of December 20, 1993, there were 112 cases of imported malaria in 106 US Marine Corps personnel returning from Somalia. Plasmodium vivax accounted for 97 (87%) of 112 malaria cases, and Plasmodium falciparum accounted for eight (7%) of 112 cases. Mixed infection with P vivax and P falciparum was noted in six (5%) of 112 cases, and a single case of Plasmodium malariae was identified. Patients with P falciparum malaria were diagnosed a mean of 20.9 days (range, 1 to 82 days) after returning to the United States compared with 91.8 days (range, 7 to 228 days) for P vivax infection (P < .0001). The self-reported chemoprophylaxis compliance rate was 56%; however, only 45 (50%) of 90 patients were given an optimal chemoprophylaxis regimen.
Conclusions:
Noncompliance with personal protective measures and chemoprophylaxis contributed to the largest outbreak of imported malaria in US military personnel since the Vietnam conflict. Since military personnel frequently go on leave after deployment, health care providers throughout the United States must be aware of the presence of imported malaria from Somalia.
More Related Videos
09:04In Vivo Tracking of Edema Development and Microvascular Pathology in a Model of Experimental Cerebral Malaria Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: June 8, 2017
05:28Standard Membrane Feeding Assay for the Detection of Plasmodium falciparum Infection in Anopheles Mosquito Vectors
Published on: May 12, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Symbiosis
Diversity of Protists II
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Malaria
Giardiasis
Amebiasis