Congenital malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium malariae
Zenz, W.; Trop, M.; Kollaritsch, H.; Reinthaler, F.
Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift 112(10): 459-461
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 0043-5325 PMID: 10890139 Document Number: 524037
A case of congenital malaria is described in Austria. The patient was the first child of a 24-year-old mother who was born in Ghana and immigrated to Austria 1.5 years before delivery. She did not stay in an endemic region during this period and did not show fever or any other signs of malaria. The boy was healthy for the first 6 weeks of his life. In the 8th week of life he was admitted to hospital due to persistent fever of unknown origin. On physical examination he showed only mild splenomegaly. Routine laboratory testing revealed mild haemolytic anaemia with a haemoglobin value of 8.3 g/l. In the blood smear Plasmodium falciparum and P. malariae were detected. Oral therapy with quinine hydrochloride was successful and blood smears became negative for plasmodia within 6 days. This case shows that congenital malaria can occur in children of clinically healthy women who were born in malaria-endemic areas, even 1.5 years after they have immigrated to non-endemic regions.