AI Article Synopsis
- Plasmodium falciparum malaria poses a significant health risk for travelers returning from endemic regions, with a noteworthy rate of diagnosis often occurring post-travel.
- A retrospective study from 1996 to 2003 in France recorded 21,888 cases and identified 96 fatalities, yielding a case-fatality rate of 4.4 per 1,000 cases.
- Risk factors leading to fatal outcomes included older age, European origin, travel to East Africa, and lack of preventive medication, emphasizing the importance of tailored pretravel advice and malaria management especially for elderly travelers.
Article Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum malaria is a serious health hazard for travelers to malaria-endemic areas and is often diagnosed on return to the country of residence. We conducted a retrospective study of imported falciparum malaria among travelers returning to France from malaria-endemic areas from 1996 through 2003. Epidemiologic, clinical, and parasitologic data were collected by a network of 120 laboratories. Factors associated with fatal malaria were identified by logistic regression analysis. During the study period, 21,888 falciparum malaria cases were reported. There were 96 deaths, for a case-fatality rate of 4.4 per 1,000 cases of falciparum malaria. In multivariate analysis, risk factors independently associated with death from imported malaria were older age, European origin, travel to East Africa, and absence of chemoprophylaxis. Fatal imported malaria remains rare and preventable. Pretravel advice and malaria management should take into account these risk factors, particularly for senior travelers.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1306.060955 | DOI Listing |
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