Plasmodium knowlesi infection in a returning German traveller from Thailand: a case report on an emerging malaria pathogen in a popular low-risk travel destination
Abstract Background Thailand is a major destination for German travellers with more than 760,000 arrivals in 2015. At the same time, malaria is a concern in travel recommendations with regard to this destination. The World Malaria Report of 2016 mentions only P. falciparum and P. vivax as prevalent...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2018-04-01
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| Series: | BMC Infectious Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12879-018-3059-z |
| _version_ | 1818189435635761152 |
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| author | Guenter Froeschl Marcus Beissner Kristina Huber Gisela Bretzel Michael Hoelscher Camilla Rothe |
| author_facet | Guenter Froeschl Marcus Beissner Kristina Huber Gisela Bretzel Michael Hoelscher Camilla Rothe |
| author_sort | Guenter Froeschl |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Thailand is a major destination for German travellers with more than 760,000 arrivals in 2015. At the same time, malaria is a concern in travel recommendations with regard to this destination. The World Malaria Report of 2016 mentions only P. falciparum and P. vivax as prevalent species for Thailand, however, P. knowlesi infections have been occasionally reported in Thailand. In German travellers, only five cases of P. knowlesi infections have been reported to date. Case presentation A 45-year-old German male tourist travelled to Thailand from 25 December 2016 to 13 January 2017. On 14 January he developed fever with no other symptoms, and presented on 17 January at the Division for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases in Munich, Germany. Malaria was diagnosed, primarily based on a single parasite in the thin smear microscopy, while commercial rapid diagnostic testing remained negative. Only the result of a differential PCR assay revealed P. knowlesi infection. Conclusions P. knowlesi has to be considered in travellers returning from Thailand. Cases may present with an extremely low parasitaemia. This is in contrast to the assumption that P. knowlesi was likely to cause high parasitaemia due to its short replication cycle. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T23:42:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-64a16650c4ef4a42a1b86cd9e06ad80d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2334 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T23:42:47Z |
| publishDate | 2018-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Infectious Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-64a16650c4ef4a42a1b86cd9e06ad80d2022-12-22T00:45:41ZengBMCBMC Infectious Diseases1471-23342018-04-011811610.1186/s12879-018-3059-zPlasmodium knowlesi infection in a returning German traveller from Thailand: a case report on an emerging malaria pathogen in a popular low-risk travel destinationGuenter Froeschl0Marcus Beissner1Kristina Huber2Gisela Bretzel3Michael Hoelscher4Camilla Rothe5Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU)Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU)Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU)Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU)Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU)Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU)Abstract Background Thailand is a major destination for German travellers with more than 760,000 arrivals in 2015. At the same time, malaria is a concern in travel recommendations with regard to this destination. The World Malaria Report of 2016 mentions only P. falciparum and P. vivax as prevalent species for Thailand, however, P. knowlesi infections have been occasionally reported in Thailand. In German travellers, only five cases of P. knowlesi infections have been reported to date. Case presentation A 45-year-old German male tourist travelled to Thailand from 25 December 2016 to 13 January 2017. On 14 January he developed fever with no other symptoms, and presented on 17 January at the Division for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases in Munich, Germany. Malaria was diagnosed, primarily based on a single parasite in the thin smear microscopy, while commercial rapid diagnostic testing remained negative. Only the result of a differential PCR assay revealed P. knowlesi infection. Conclusions P. knowlesi has to be considered in travellers returning from Thailand. Cases may present with an extremely low parasitaemia. This is in contrast to the assumption that P. knowlesi was likely to cause high parasitaemia due to its short replication cycle.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12879-018-3059-zPlasmodium knowlesiMalariaThailandGermanyTravel medicine |
| spellingShingle | Guenter Froeschl Marcus Beissner Kristina Huber Gisela Bretzel Michael Hoelscher Camilla Rothe Plasmodium knowlesi infection in a returning German traveller from Thailand: a case report on an emerging malaria pathogen in a popular low-risk travel destination BMC Infectious Diseases Plasmodium knowlesi Malaria Thailand Germany Travel medicine |
| title | Plasmodium knowlesi infection in a returning German traveller from Thailand: a case report on an emerging malaria pathogen in a popular low-risk travel destination |
| title_full | Plasmodium knowlesi infection in a returning German traveller from Thailand: a case report on an emerging malaria pathogen in a popular low-risk travel destination |
| title_fullStr | Plasmodium knowlesi infection in a returning German traveller from Thailand: a case report on an emerging malaria pathogen in a popular low-risk travel destination |
| title_full_unstemmed | Plasmodium knowlesi infection in a returning German traveller from Thailand: a case report on an emerging malaria pathogen in a popular low-risk travel destination |
| title_short | Plasmodium knowlesi infection in a returning German traveller from Thailand: a case report on an emerging malaria pathogen in a popular low-risk travel destination |
| title_sort | plasmodium knowlesi infection in a returning german traveller from thailand a case report on an emerging malaria pathogen in a popular low risk travel destination |
| topic | Plasmodium knowlesi Malaria Thailand Germany Travel medicine |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12879-018-3059-z |
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