Unpleasant Souvenir: Imported Malaria in Türkiye.

Objective: Each year, approximately 125 million people visit malaria-endemic countries. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of imported malaria infections in Türkiye.

Methods: The study included patients diagnosed with malaria between 1996 and 2022. A retrospective evaluation was conducted on whole blood samples and/or blood smears, as well as detailed medical histories, clinical manifestations, and laboratory findings. A total of 131 imported cases of were included in the study.

Results: Among the patients, 121 were male. Of these, 101 had traveled to Africa, while 30 had visited Asia. Among the patients, 109 were returned travelers, and 22 were refugees/migrants. Early trophozoites were observed in all patients, while gametocytes were detected in 30 patients. Cerebral malaria developed in 15 patients, resulting in the death of two individuals. Additionally, 10 patients received preventive chemoprophylaxis.

Conclusion: Turkey is situated on migration routes that connect two continents to Europe, where more than 95% of the global malaria burden exists. The importation of malaria through returned travelers poses a risk of malaria reintroduction in our country, given the presence of suitable vectors, climate conditions, and environmental factors. Importantly, 30 patients (22.9%) exhibited gametocyte forms of , which have the potential to infect Anopheles species, thus establishing a basis for local malaria transmission.