Malaria remains a serious public health problem in Shandong Province, China; therefore, it is important to explore the characteristics of the current malaria prevalence situation in the province. In this study, data of malaria cases reported in Shandong during 2012-2014 were analyzed, and Plasmodium species were confirmed by smear microscopy and nested-PCR. A total of 374 malaria cases were reported, 80.8% of which were reported from 6 prefectures. Of all cases, P. falciparum was dominant (81.3%), followed by P. vivax (11.8%); P. ovale and P. malariae together accounted for 6.4% of cases. Notably, for the first time since 2012, no indigenous case had been reported in Shandong Province, a situation that continued through 2014. Total 95.2% of cases were imported from Africa. The ratio of male/female was 92.5:1, and 96.8% of cases occurred in people 20-54 years of age. Farmers or laborers represented 77.5% of cases. No significant trends of monthly pattern were found in the reported cases. All patients were in good condition after treatment, except for 3 who died. These results indicate that imported malaria has increased significantly since 2012 in Shandong Province, especially for P. falciparum, and there is an emergence of species diversity.
Africa ; China* ; Farmers ; Humans ; Malaria* ; Microscopy ; Plasmodium falciparum ; Plasmodium malariae ; Plasmodium ovale ; Plasmodium vivax ; Plasmodium* ; Prevalence ; Public Health

A parasitological study was performed with 452 malaria patients evacuated from South Vietnam by examinations of their peripheral blood. Results were as follows: The peripheral blood examinations revealed that 52.0% of the examined have parasitemia, of which 95.3% was P. falciparum, one case of P. vivax and the other 10 patients were mixed infected. Neither P. malaria nor P. ovale were found. A total of 1,500 thick and thin blood films was prepared and 707 slides of them (47.1%) showed positive. In P. falciparum, ring forms were found most frequently and the next was gametocytes. Eighty slides (50%) showed mixed together with both ring form and gametocytes. All of the erythrocytic stages were seen in three slides of P. vivax. Weekly periodical examinations showed 233.8 parasite density every 1,000 W.B.C count in average, while occasional at fever attacks 531.7.Size of gametocytes in P. falciparum was 9.31(+/-0.89) by 2.16(+/-0.53) in macrogametocyte and 6.61(+/-0.82) by 2.51(+/-0.35) in microgametocyte. Their sex ratio was 100 : 92. Repeated blood examinations showed increased detection rates. The positive rate of parasitemia was 52.0% in single examination, increasing in succession with repetitions.
parasitology-protozoology-malaria ; Plasmodium falciparum ; Plasmodium vivax ; Plasmodium ovale ; Plasmodium malariae ; ring form gametocyte ; epidemiologyk Vietnam ; parasitemia

The usefulness of malaria diagnosis by Plasmodium falciparum-GDH (NADP+), obtained by affinity chromatography, is demonstrated in ELISA assays, testing IgG antibodies against GDH (NADP+) from patients with acute malaria, who have had two or more episodes of malaria, or from sera of hyperimmune patients. GDH (NADP+) thermal stability was demonstrated in a high heat resistance assay. The immunofluorescence assay demonstrated that anti-culture (P. falciparum) supernatant serum and anti-GDH (NADP+) of Proteus spp, recognized epitopes in Venezuelan isolates, and Colombian and Brasilian malarial strains. The antigen is soluble, with high specificity, is a potent immunogen and is thermoresistant.
parasitology-protozoa ; antigen ; enzymes ; glutamate dehydrogenase ; malaria ; diagnosis ; Plasmodium berghei ; Plasmodium cathemerium ; Plasmodium falciparum ; Plasmodium vivax ; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Although it is not certain when malaria began to appear in Korea, malaria is believed to have been an endemic disease from ancient times. It was Dr. H. N. Allen (1858-1932) who made the first description and diagnosis of malaria in terms of Western medicine. In his first year report (1885) of Korean Government Hospital he mentioned malaria as the most prevalent disease. Very effective anti-malarial drug quinine was imported and it made great contribution in treating malaria. After Japan had annexed Korea in 1910, policies for public health system were fundamentally revised. Japan assumed control of Korean medical institutions and built high-quality Western hospitals for the health care of Japanese residents. The infectious diseases which were under special surveillance were cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, typhus, scarlet fever, smallpox, and paratyphoid fever. Among chronic infectious diseases tuberculosis and leprosy were those under special control. Malaria, however, was not one of these specially controlled infectious diseases although it was widely spread throughout the peninsula. But serious studies on malaria were carried out by Japanese medical scientists. In particular, a Japanese parasitologist Kobayasi Harujiro(1884-1969) carried out extensive studies on human parasites, including malaria, in Korea. According to his study, most of the malaria in Korea turned out to be tertian fever. In spite of its high prevalence, malaria did not draw much attention from the colonial authorities and no serious measure was taken since tertian fever is a mild form of malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax and is not so much fatal as tropical malaria caused by P. falciparum. And tertian malaria was easily controlled by taking quinine. Although the majority of malaria in Korea was tertian fever, other types were not absent. Quartan fever was not rarely reported in 1930s. The attitude of colonial authorities toward malaria in Korea was contrasted with that in Taiwan. After Japan had set out to colonize Taiwan as a result of Sino-Japanese war, malaria in Taiwan was a big obstacle to the colonization process. Therefore, a lot of medical scientists were asked to engage the malaria research in order to handle health problems in colonized countries caused by malaria. Unlike the situation in Taiwan, malaria in Korea did not cause a serious health problem as in Taiwan. However, its risk was not negligible. In 1933 there were almost 130,000 malaria patients in Korea and 1,800 patients among them died of malaria. The Japanese Government General took measures to control malaria especially during the 1930s and the number of patients decreased. However, as Japan engaged in the World War II, the general hygienic state of the society worsened and the number of malarial patients increased. The worsened situation remains the same after Liberation (1945) and during the Korean war (1950-53).
Colonialism/history ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Korea ; Malaria/diagnosis/drug therapy/*history ; Malaria, Vivax/diagnosis/drug therapy/history ; Microscopy, Polarization ; Plasmodium malariae/isolation & purification ; Plasmodium ovale/isolation & purification ; Plasmodium vivax/isolation & purification ; Quinine/history/therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo survey malaria prevalence in Sarbaz from April 2009 to October 2010.

METHODSEpidemiological data of 1 464 confirmed malarial patients were analyzed according to demographic status, sex, age, nationality, isolated species and residence place.

RESULTSThe majority of patients were male 950 (64.8%) but 514 (35.2%) were female. 82.5% of patients were Iranian, 14% Pakistani immigrants, and 3.5% Afghan immigrants. Data collected showed that 90% of isolated species were Plasmodium vivax, 7.8% Plasmodium falciparum, and 2.2% Plasmodium malariae and mixed species.

CONCLUSIONSTherefore, it is crystal clear that refugees should be prohibited by government and controlled by experts in health centers in order to campaign effectively with this life threating disease.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Demography ; Ethnic Groups ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Iran ; epidemiology ; Malaria ; epidemiology ; parasitology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Plasmodium falciparum ; isolation & purification ; Plasmodium malariae ; isolation & purification ; Plasmodium vivax ; isolation & purification ; Prevalence ; Young Adult

Plasmodium vivax produces numerous caveola-vesicle complex (CVC) structures beneath the membrane of infected erythrocytes. Recently, a member helical interspersed subtelomeric (PHIST) superfamily protein, PcyPHIST/CVC-81₉₅, was identified as CVCs-associated protein in Plasmodium cynomolgi and essential for survival of this parasite. Very little information has been documented to date about PHIST/CVC-81₉₅ protein in P. vivax. In this study, the recombinant PvPHIST/CVC-81₉₅ N and C termini were expressed, and immunoreactivity was assessed using confirmed vivax malaria patients sera by protein microarray. The subcellular localization of PvPHIST/CVC-81₉₅ N and C termini in blood stage parasites was also determined. The antigenicity of recombinant PvPHIST/CVC-81₉₅ N and C terminal proteins were analyzed by using serum samples from the Republic of Korea. The results showed that immunoreactivities to these proteins had 61% and 43% sensitivity and 96.9% and 93.8% specificity, respectively. The N terminal of PvPHIST/CVC-81₉₅ which contains transmembrane domain and export motif (PEXEL; RxLxE/Q/D) produced CVCs location throughout the erythrocytic-stage parasites. However, no fluorescence was detected with antibodies against C terminal fragment of PvPHIST/CVC-81₉₅. These results suggest that the PvPHIST/CVC-81₉₅ is localized on the CVCs and may be immunogenic in natural infection of P. vivax.
Antibodies ; Erythrocytes ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Malaria, Vivax ; Membranes ; Parasites ; Plasmodium cynomolgi ; Plasmodium vivax* ; Plasmodium* ; Protein Array Analysis ; Republic of Korea ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Cerebral malaria is a severe neurological complication of Plasmodium falciparum infection. Cerebral malaria can lead to cerebral infarction by several mechanisms including systemic inflammatory response. The systemic inflammatory response is known to rarely occur in Plasmodium vivax infection. We report a patient who developed multiple cerebral infarctions following Plasmodium vivax infection.
Cerebral Infarction ; Humans ; Malaria, Cerebral ; Plasmodium ; Plasmodium falciparum ; Plasmodium vivax

Son Hoa district, Phu Yen province which is mountain area has about 38,000 inhabitant. It belongs to malaria transmission area. malaria detection, diagnosis and treatment became complicated because of P.falciparum resists anti-malaria drugs at high degree (chloroquin 71%, Fansidar 79%), rate of asymtomatic parasitaemia (40-45%). Clinical sysptoms of malaria patients are featureless. Health system, material basis are deficient, degree of health worker is limited; knowledge and managing ability of health personnel are very low. Private pharmacy-medical services haven't been controlled, quality of activities a little effectiveness. People have a limited knowledge about malaria control program and have a difference among ethnic communities
Malaria ; Plasmodium malariae ; diagnosis ; therapeutics

Liver function tests were performed in 61 vivax, 54 malariae and 15 ovale malaria patients who were admitted to Bangkok Hospital for Tropical Diseases between 2001 and 2004. The objective of the study was to evaluate changes in hepatic biochemical indices before and after treatment with artemisinin derivatives. On admission and prior to treatment, hepatic dysfunction was found among the 3 groups. Serum liver function tests and physical examinations were performed weekly during the 28-day follow-up period. Initially elevated serum bilirubin and diminished albumin returned to normal within 2 weeks of treatment. Serum alkaline phosphatase and aminotransferases returned to within normal limits within 3 weeks. We conclude that patients with Plasmodium vivax, P. malariae and P. ovale infections had slightly elevated serum bilirubin, aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase levels, and hypoalbuminemia. These minor abnormalities returned to normal within a few weeks after treatment with therapies based on artemisinin derivatives.
Treatment Outcome ; Sesquiterpenes/*therapeutic use ; Serum Albumin ; Plasmodium vivax/*drug effects/pathogenicity ; Plasmodium ovale/*drug effects/pathogenicity ; Plasmodium malariae/*drug effects/pathogenicity ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Malaria, Vivax/drug therapy/parasitology/physiopathology ; Malaria/*drug therapy/parasitology/physiopathology ; Liver Function Tests ; Liver/*physiopathology ; Humans ; Female ; Bilirubin/blood ; Artemisinins/*therapeutic use ; Anti-Infective Agents/therapeutic use ; Animals ; Alanine Transaminase/blood ; Adult ; Adolescent

Recently, the number of Korean travelers and workers to malaria-endemic regions has increased, and the number of patients with imported malaria cases has increased as well. In Korea, most cases of imported malaria infections are caused by Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax. Only one report of imported P. malariae infection has been published thus far. Here, we describe a case of imported P. malariae infection that was confirmed by peripheral blood smear and nested PCR targeting the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene. A 53-yr-old man, who had stayed in the Republic of Guinea in tropical West Africa for about 40 days, experienced fever and headache for 3 days before admission. The results of rapid malaria test using the SD Malaria Antigen/Antibody Kit (Standard Diagnostics, Korea) were negative, but Wright-Giemsa stained peripheral blood smear revealed Plasmodium. To identify the Plasmodium species and to examine if the patient had a mixed infection, we performed nested PCR targeting the SSU rRNA gene. P. malariae single infection was confirmed by nested PCR. Sequence analysis of the SSU rRNA gene of P. malariae showed that the isolated P. malariae was P. malariae type 2. Thus, our findings suggest that when cases of imported malaria infection are suspected, infection with P. malariae as well as P. falciparum and P. vivax should be considered. For the accurate diagnosis and treatment of imported malaria cases, we should confirm infection with Plasmodium species by PCR as well as peripheral blood smear and rapid malaria antigen test.
Africa, Western ; Coinfection ; Diagnosis ; Fever ; Genes, rRNA ; Guinea* ; Headache ; Humans ; Korea ; Malaria ; Plasmodium ; Plasmodium falciparum ; Plasmodium malariae* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Ribosomal ; Sequence Analysis