Clinical Analysis of 40 Cases of Malaria / 감염

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Endemic malaria has become increasingly rare since the late 1970s, but since the reemergence of indigenous vivax malaria in 1993, the number of cases of malaria have recently increased. We analyzed the cases of malaria who were treated in Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital with regards to epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and treatment outcome, and made a comparison between indigenous and imported cases. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data of 40 confirmed cases of malaria treated in the same hospital. RESULTS: Twenty-one cases were indigenous and 19 were imported malaria. Peripheral blood smear revealed Plasmodium vivax in all indigenous malaria, whereas in imported cases 13 were P. falciparum and 6 were P. vivax. Yeonchon-gun(7 cases) was the most prevalent area in the indigenous cases; Africa and Southeast Asia(7 cases, respectively) were the most prevalent areas in the imported cases. Anemia(hemoglobin <10g/dL) was found more frequently in the imported cases, but the difference was not statistically significant. One patient, who was infected in South America showed initially resistant to primaquine, but was cured after extended treatment with increased dosage of primaquine. CONCLUSION: As cases of indigenous malaria in Korea are increasing, early diagnosis, treament, and prevention of malaria are important. To prevent imported malaria, anyone who travels to endemic areas should receive proper education and chemoprophylaxis, considering the pattern of drug resistance.