Case report
Imported Plasmodium falciparum malaria in HIV-infected patients: a report of two cases
1 Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, La Paz University Hospital-IdiPAZ, Paseo de la Castellana 261, 28046 Madrid, Spain
2 Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Unit, Division of Internal Medicine and Division of Microbiology, La Paz University Hospital-IdiPAZ, Paseo de la Castellana 261, 28046 Madrid, Spain
3 Malaria and Emerging Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Parasitology Department, Nacional Centre of Microbilogy, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Cra. Majadahonda Pozuelo Km 2, Majadahonda, 28220 Madrid, Spain
4 HIV Unit and Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Unit, Division of Internal Medicine and Division of Microbiology, La Paz University Hospital-IdiPAZ, Paseo de la Castellana 261, 28046 Madrid, Spain
Malaria Journal 2012, 11:136 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-11-136
Published: 27 April 2012Abstract
As HIV becomes a chronic infection, an increasing number of HIV-infected patients are travelling to malaria-endemic areas. Association of malaria with HIV/AIDS can be clinically severe. Severe falciparum malaria is a medical emergency that is associated with a high mortality, even when treated in an Intensive Care Unit. This article describes two cases of HIV-positive patients, who returned from malaria-endemic areas and presented a parasitaemia > 5% of erythrocytes and clinical signs of severe falciparum malaria, both with > 350 CD4 cell count/μl, absence of chemoprophylaxis and successful response. Factors like drug interactions and the possible implication of anti-malarial therapy bioavailability are all especially interesting in HIV-malaria co-infections.
