The case report of a non-resident Indian with Plasmodium ovale curtisi from Kerala, India

ABSTRACT

India’s target of malaria elimination by 2030 may not be achieved solely by detecting Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax, the two common Plasmodium species causing infections in humans. Sporadic reports have been documented on other Plasmodium species in the country, associated mostly with travel history. A febrile patient of Indian origin (Non-resident Indian (NRI)) was diagnosed with an infection of Plasmodium ovale curtisi malaria on his arrival from Sudan. A case report from Kerala was published in December 2020 and this is second report. Due to the inaccessibility of molecular techniques for routine diagnosis, this neglected non-falciparum malaria goes undetected. For an accurate diagnosis, suspected malaria cases should be tested using PCR and other advanced methods.