Korean J Parasitol.  2009 Sep;47(3):299-302. 10.3347/kjp.2009.47.3.299.

Imported Malaria in Korea: a 13-Year Experience in a Single Center

Affiliations
  • 1Division of Infectious Diseases, Konkuk University Hospital, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 143-779, Korea.
  • 2Division of Infectious Diseases, Daegu Fatima Hospital, Daegu 701-600, Korea.
  • 3Division of Infectious Diseases, Dankook University Hospital, Dankook University School of Medicine, Cheonan 330-715, Korea.
  • 4Division of Infectious Diseases, Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu 700-712, Korea.
  • 5Division of Infectious Diseases, Dong-A University Medical Center, Dong-A University School of Medicine, Busan 602-715, Korea.
  • 6Division of Infectious Diseases, Gyeongsang Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 660-702, Korea.
  • 7Division of Infectious Diseases, Cheju National University Hospital, Cheju National University, Jeju 690-716, Korea.
  • 8Division of Infectious Diseases, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 135-710, Korea. krpeck@skku.edu
  • 9Asian-Pacific Research Foundation for Infectious Diseases (ARFID), Seoul 135-710, Korea.

Abstract

The incidence of imported malaria has been increasing in Korea. We reviewed data retrospectively to evaluate the epidemiology, clinical features, and outcomes of imported malaria from 1995 to 2007 in a university hospital. All patients diagnosed with imported malaria were included. Imported malaria was defined as a positive smear for malaria that was acquired in a foreign country. A total of 49 patients (mean age, 35.7 year; M : F = 38 : 11) were enrolled. The predominant malarial species was Plasmodium falciparum (73.5%), and the most frequent area of acquisition was Africa (55.1%), followed by Southeast Asia (22.4%) and South Asia (18.4%). Fourteen-patients (30.6%) suffered from severe malaria caused by P. falciparum and 1 patient (2.0%) died of multiorgan failure. Most of the patients were treated with mefloquine (79.2%) or quinine (10.2%); other antimalarial agents had to be given in 13.2% treated with mefloquine and 44.4% with quinine due to adverse drug events (ADEs). P. falciparum was the most common cause of imported malaria, with the majority of cases acquired from Africa, and a significant number of patients had severe malaria. Alternative antimalarial agents with lower rates of ADEs might be considered for effective treatment instead of mefloquine and quinine.

Keyword

Plasmodium; imported malaria; adverse drug events; mefloquine; quinine

MeSH Terms

Adult
Animals
Antimalarials/adverse effects/therapeutic use
Female
Humans
Korea/epidemiology
Malaria, Falciparum/drug therapy/epidemiology/*parasitology
Male
Middle Aged
Plasmodium falciparum/drug effects/isolation & purification
Retrospective Studies
*Travel
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