Quality microbiological diagnostics and antimicrobial susceptibility testing, an essential component of antimicrobial resistance surveillance and control efforts in Pacific island nations.

Problem: Emerging bacterial antimicrobial (antibiotic) resistance (AMR) is a global threat to human health. However, most lower income countries do not have microbiological diagnostic testing for prompt, reliable confirmation of bloodstream infection and identification of AMR.

Context: Clinicians in Pacific island nations are increasingly challenged by patients who have infection due to antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.

HMS-related hemolysis after acute attacks of Plasmodium vivax malaria.

Among a cohort of 1,213 cases treated for Plasmodium vivax malaria from an isolated Papua New Guinean population, seven adults with severe and sustained hemolytic anemia after clearance of the peripheral parasitemia were prospectively investigated. All the patients fulfilled the criteria for hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly and in 2 of 7 cases an IgG warm antibody was identified. Hereditary hemolytic anemia was excluded in 5 of 5 patients.