Trends in imported malaria during the COVID-19 pandemic, Spain ( plus Redivi Collaborative Network)
Por:
Norman, F, Trevino-Maruri, B, Giardin, J, Gullon-Pena, B, Salvador, F, Serre, N, Diaz-Menendez, M, Calabuig, E, Rodriguez-Guardado, A, Lombide, I, Perez-Ayala, A, Torrus, D, Goikoetxea, J, Garcia-Rodriguez, M and Perez-Molina, J
Publicada:
17 sep 2022
Ahead of Print:
1 jul 2022
Resumen:
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions in prevention and management strategies for malaria globally. Currently, data analysing trends in travel-related infections during the pandemic years are scarce. The objective of this analysis was to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with imported malaria within the +Redivi network in Spain, focusing on yearly trends from pre-pandemic years to date.
Methods: Cases recorded in +Redivi from October 2009 to December 2021 were analysed and patients with a diagnosis of malaria (standard diagnostic methods using thick/thin peripheral blood smears, with/without a malaria rapid diagnostic test and/or Plasmodium spp. polymerase chain reaction) were identified. The total number of malaria cases, cases according to type of patient and severe cases, per year, were analysed.
Results: In total, 1751 cases of malaria (1751/26601, 6.6%) were identified. The majority occurred in males (1041, 59.5%), median age was 36.3 (interquartile range: 27-44.7) years and most occurred in visiting friends and relatives (VFR)-immigrants (872, 49.8%). Most infections were acquired in sub-Saharan Africa (1.660, 94.8%) and were due to Plasmodium falciparum (81.3%). There were 64 cases of severe malaria (3.7%) and 4 patients died (0.2% mortality, all in pre-pandemic years). A significant increase in cases of severe malaria was observed during the study period (P<0.001) (attributable to the increase in 2021). There were 16/93 severe cases in 2021 (17.2%), all due to Plasmodium falciparum, (compared with <= 5% in previous years), which mainly occurred in travellers and VFR-immigrants (10/16, 62.5% and 5/16, 31.3%, respectively).
Conclusions: After an initial decline associated with travel restrictions due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in imported malaria and a significant increase in cases of severe malaria was observed. Patients with imported malaria may present and/or be diagnosed late during this public health crisis and health care professionals should be alerted to the recent increase in severe cases.
Filiaciones:
Norman, F:
Ramon y Cajal Univ Hosp, Natl Referral Unit Trop Dis, Infect Dis Dept, IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain
Univ Alcala, Inst Salud Carlos III, CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
Trevino-Maruri, B:
Vail dHebron Univ Hosp, Unitat Med Trop & Salut Int Vall dHebron Drassane, PROSICS, Barcelona, Spain
Inst Salud Carlos III, CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
Giardin, J:
Fuenlabrada Univ Hosp, Madrid, Spain
Gullon-Pena, B:
Ramon y Cajal Univ Hosp, Natl Referral Unit Trop Dis, Infect Dis Dept, IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain
Univ Alcala, Inst Salud Carlos III, CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
Salvador, F:
Inst Salud Carlos III, CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
Vall dHebron Univ Hosp, Infect Dis Dept, PROSICS, Barcelona, Spain
Serre, N:
Vail dHebron Univ Hosp, Unitat Med Trop & Salut Int Vall dHebron Drassane, PROSICS, Barcelona, Spain
Inst Salud Carlos III, CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
Diaz-Menendez, M:
Hosp Univ La Paz Carlos III, Natl Referral Ctr Imported Trop Dis, Madrid, Spain
Calabuig, E:
La Fe Univ, Valencia, Spain
Univ Valencia, Polytech Hosp, Valencia, Spain
Rodriguez-Guardado, A:
Asturias Cent Univ Hosp, Oviedo, Spain
Lombide, I:
Basurto Univ Hosp, Bilbao, Spain
Perez-Ayala, A:
12 Octubre Univ Hosp, Madrid, Spain
:
Alicante Gen Univ Hosp, Alicante, Spain
Goikoetxea, J:
Cruces Univ Hosp, Bilbao, Spain
Garcia-Rodriguez, M:
Valencia Gen Univ Hosp, Valencia, Spain
Perez-Molina, J:
Ramon y Cajal Univ Hosp, Natl Referral Unit Trop Dis, Infect Dis Dept, IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain
Univ Alcala, Inst Salud Carlos III, CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
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