Post-mortem diagnosis of imported malaria in France: a case report
Abstract Background Malaria is a potentially lethal parasitic disease due to infection by Plasmodium parasites, transmitted by Anopheles mosquito vectors. Various preventative measures may be recommended for travellers who visit endemic areas. The diagnosis is generally evoked in the context of a fe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Malaria Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-021-03806-y |
| _version_ | 1818670400840663040 |
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| author | Jacques Sevestre Caroline Bernardi Morgane Gillet Pascal Delaunay Youta Fanjat Giorgio Toni Pierre Marty Véronique Alunni Christelle Pomares |
| author_facet | Jacques Sevestre Caroline Bernardi Morgane Gillet Pascal Delaunay Youta Fanjat Giorgio Toni Pierre Marty Véronique Alunni Christelle Pomares |
| author_sort | Jacques Sevestre |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Malaria is a potentially lethal parasitic disease due to infection by Plasmodium parasites, transmitted by Anopheles mosquito vectors. Various preventative measures may be recommended for travellers who visit endemic areas. The diagnosis is generally evoked in the context of a febrile patient returning from an endemic zone. Nevertheless, symptoms and clinical signs may be difficult to interpret, and fatal cases may only be diagnosed retrospectively with laboratory techniques, specific pathological features and patient history. The present work reports a case of fatal cerebral malaria diagnosed post-mortem, along with the techniques that allowed identification of the causative agent. Case presentation A 29 year-old male was found dead in his rental home during a vacation in Southern France. In the absence of explainable cause, an autopsy was performed, which did not retrieve major lesions. In the context of frequent business-related travels in tropical Africa, several samples were adressed for parasitological examination. Microscopy techniques, along with immunochromatographic and molecular biology assays, led to post-mortem diagnosis of fatal cerebral malaria. It was discovered in retrospect that the patient had not used preventative measures against malaria when travelling in endemic zones, and had not been provided with proper travel medicine counseling prior to his travel. Conclusion A vast proportion of imported malaria cases reported in France concerns patients who did not use preventive measures, such as bed nets, repellents or chemoprophylaxis. Given the wide availability of prevention tools in developed countries, and the important number of declared imported malaria cases, there is no doubt traveller awareness still needs to be raised. Moreover, healthcare professionals should always question travel history in febrile patients. The authors advocate for recurrent information campaigns for travellers, and physician training for a better prevention and diagnosis of malaria cases. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T07:07:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-00c763882b374466b10e6d41043099db |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1475-2875 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T07:07:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Malaria Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-00c763882b374466b10e6d41043099db2022-12-21T21:59:07ZengBMCMalaria Journal1475-28752021-06-012011410.1186/s12936-021-03806-yPost-mortem diagnosis of imported malaria in France: a case reportJacques Sevestre0Caroline Bernardi1Morgane Gillet2Pascal Delaunay3Youta Fanjat4Giorgio Toni5Pierre Marty6Véronique Alunni7Christelle Pomares8Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Hôpital L’Archet, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, UCALaboratoire de Médecine Légale Et Anthropologie Médico-Légale, Hôpital Cimiez, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de NiceLaboratoire de Médecine Légale Et Anthropologie Médico-Légale, Hôpital Cimiez, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de NiceService de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Hôpital L’Archet, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, UCALaboratoire Central D’Anatomie Pathologique, Hôpital Pasteur, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de NiceLaboratoire Central D’Anatomie Pathologique, Hôpital Pasteur, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de NiceService de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Hôpital L’Archet, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, UCALaboratoire de Médecine Légale Et Anthropologie Médico-Légale, Hôpital Cimiez, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de NiceService de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Hôpital L’Archet, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, UCAAbstract Background Malaria is a potentially lethal parasitic disease due to infection by Plasmodium parasites, transmitted by Anopheles mosquito vectors. Various preventative measures may be recommended for travellers who visit endemic areas. The diagnosis is generally evoked in the context of a febrile patient returning from an endemic zone. Nevertheless, symptoms and clinical signs may be difficult to interpret, and fatal cases may only be diagnosed retrospectively with laboratory techniques, specific pathological features and patient history. The present work reports a case of fatal cerebral malaria diagnosed post-mortem, along with the techniques that allowed identification of the causative agent. Case presentation A 29 year-old male was found dead in his rental home during a vacation in Southern France. In the absence of explainable cause, an autopsy was performed, which did not retrieve major lesions. In the context of frequent business-related travels in tropical Africa, several samples were adressed for parasitological examination. Microscopy techniques, along with immunochromatographic and molecular biology assays, led to post-mortem diagnosis of fatal cerebral malaria. It was discovered in retrospect that the patient had not used preventative measures against malaria when travelling in endemic zones, and had not been provided with proper travel medicine counseling prior to his travel. Conclusion A vast proportion of imported malaria cases reported in France concerns patients who did not use preventive measures, such as bed nets, repellents or chemoprophylaxis. Given the wide availability of prevention tools in developed countries, and the important number of declared imported malaria cases, there is no doubt traveller awareness still needs to be raised. Moreover, healthcare professionals should always question travel history in febrile patients. The authors advocate for recurrent information campaigns for travellers, and physician training for a better prevention and diagnosis of malaria cases.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-021-03806-yMalariaPlasmodiumCerebral malariaMalaria diagnosisMalaria preventionTravel medicine |
| spellingShingle | Jacques Sevestre Caroline Bernardi Morgane Gillet Pascal Delaunay Youta Fanjat Giorgio Toni Pierre Marty Véronique Alunni Christelle Pomares Post-mortem diagnosis of imported malaria in France: a case report Malaria Journal Malaria Plasmodium Cerebral malaria Malaria diagnosis Malaria prevention Travel medicine |
| title | Post-mortem diagnosis of imported malaria in France: a case report |
| title_full | Post-mortem diagnosis of imported malaria in France: a case report |
| title_fullStr | Post-mortem diagnosis of imported malaria in France: a case report |
| title_full_unstemmed | Post-mortem diagnosis of imported malaria in France: a case report |
| title_short | Post-mortem diagnosis of imported malaria in France: a case report |
| title_sort | post mortem diagnosis of imported malaria in france a case report |
| topic | Malaria Plasmodium Cerebral malaria Malaria diagnosis Malaria prevention Travel medicine |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-021-03806-y |
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