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. 2016 Jun 17:15:325.
doi: 10.1186/s12936-016-1366-7.

Sharp increase of imported Plasmodium vivax malaria seen in migrants from Eritrea in Hamburg, Germany

Louise Roggelin  1 , Dennis Tappe  2 , Bernd Noack  2 , Marylyn M Addo  3   4 , Egbert Tannich  2   4 , Camilla Rothe  3
Affiliations

Sharp increase of imported Plasmodium vivax malaria seen in migrants from Eritrea in Hamburg, Germany

Louise Roggelin et al. Malar J. .

Abstract

Background: Since 2014, a considerable increase in Plasmodium vivax malaria has been observed in Germany. The majority of cases was seen in Eritrean refugees.

Methods: All patients with P. vivax malaria admitted to the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf Germany from 2011 until August 2015 were retrospectively identified by the hospital coding system and data was matched with records from the laboratory diagnostics unit of the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.

Results: Between May 2014 and August 2015, 37 cases were reported in newly-arrived Eritrean refugees at the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. Relapses occurred due to difficulties in procurement of primaquine.

Conclusion: Countries hosting Eritrean refugees need to be aware of vivax malaria occurring in this group and the risk of autochthonous cases due to local transmission by indigenous, vector competent Anopheles species.

Keywords: Eritrea; Horn of Africa; Malaria; Plasmodium vivax; Refugees.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Number of cases of P. vivax malaria reported at the UKE Hamburg, Germany by country of origin from 2011 to 2014
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Malaria cases stratified by Plasmodium species treated at the UKE: n = 49, 2014: n = 87, 2015: n = 29 (until June 2015 only)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Number of P. vivax cases in newly arrived Eritrean refugees treated at the UKE from January 2013 until June 2014 (n = 32)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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