Background
Hyperreactive malarial splenomegaly
Transfusion- and transplant-transmitted malaria
Review
Publication, country, reference | Description of recipient | Description of donor | Diagnostic test results for donor | Time lapse since donor’s last infection/risk of infection |
---|---|---|---|---|
Black et al., Australia [21] | Adult female with carcinoma; peri-operative blood transfusion in 1958, with fever 7 days post transfusion. Falciparum malaria diagnosed subsequently (confirmed by microscopy 14 days after transfusion) | Merchant seaman with trips to malarious areas 1942–7 and intermittent anti-malarials. History of malaria, most recent in Solomon Islands in 1953. Back in Australia since April 1957. | Slide positive | 15 months |
Chojnacki et al., USA [22] | 60-years-old male with anaemia and myocardial infarction transfused who developed fever and chills 4 days post transfusion with falciparum malaria confirmed subsequently | 19-years-old soldier, served in Vietnam until 7 months before blood donation. Had taken prophylaxis. Recalled short fever episode in Vietnam | >20 slides negative. Sternal bone marrow aspirate + by microscopy | 7 months |
Fisher et al., USA [23] | Case 1: 54-years-old American female transfused during aorto-iliac bypass graft surgery in 1968. Developed fever 13 days post transfusion with falciparum malaria confirmed by microscopy nine days later. No relevant travel history | 22-years-old American soldier in Vietnam 1966- March 1967. Took prophylaxis. | Positive serology; negative microscopy | 13 months |
Case 2: 25-years-old female, transfused for post-partum haemorrhage. Developed fever ~2 weeks later and then severe malaria with coma. Diagnosis finally made 3 weeks post transfusion. | 21-years-old American soldier in Viet Nam 1967–1968. Took prophylaxis. | Negative microscopy | 7 months | |
Brooks et al.,USA[24] | 56-years-old male with laryngeal carcinoma. Post-surgical transfusion; no relevant travel history. Died of cerebral malaria about 3 weeks post operatively. | Nigerian student. | Rare P.F T seen finally after multiple negative smears and a 500 ml phlebotomy. | 32 months |
Dike, UK [25] | Adult male, given blood transfusion after a road traffic accident. Developed fever 19 days later and falciparum malaria confirmed 24 days after last transfusion | Nigerian student. Asymptomatic | Serology positive. | 17 months |
Seligman et al., USA [26] | 34-years-old male. End-stage renal failure on haemodialysis, born in Italy, in USA since 1955. Monthly blood transfusions. Developed falciparum malaria in 1970 with symptoms 7 days post transfusion. No relevant travel history. | Ghanaian, immigrated to USA in Oct 1969. No history of malaria. | One P.F T ring form found on thin smear. Serology positive. | 13 months |
Duizabo et al., France [27] | No details* | No details | No details | 16 months |
Besson et al., France [28] | 30-years-old male. Orthopaedic surgical procedure (correction of pseudarthrosis) with transfusion in 1973. Fever 2 weeks later.Eventual microscopy diagnosis of falciparum malaria. Had never left France and no history of malaria. | Donor born in Senegal, living in France since 1960, no history malaria. | Serology (IF) positive | 13 years |
Saleun et al., France [29] | No details. P. falciparum transmitted by blood transfusion | Donor from Burkina Faso | No details | 16 months |
Duperval et al., Canada [30] | 8-years-old Canadian male, treated for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, admission with high fever. Cerebral malaria diagnosed post-mortem, including sequestration of parasitised erythrocytes in cerebral vasculature. Last recorded blood transfusion was post gastrectomy 12 years earlier. No travel; route/time of malaria acquisition unknown. 50% parasitaemia on pre-mortem slides examined retrospectively. | No donor history | No details | 12 years |
Babinet et al., France [31] | 53-years-old Portuguese female with left ventricular insufficiency, admitted for heart transplant. Developed symptoms of malaria 12 days post op, diagnosed on day 18. She died 4 days later** | 51-years-old female originally from Cameroon | Donor's serum tested retrospectively was positive for P. falciparum Abs and Ag | 15 months |
Yarrish et al., USA [32] | 65-years-old female, transfused at cardiothoracic surgery (for rheumatic mitral stenosis) in 1982. Developed post transfusion falciparum malaria with 5% parasitaemia diagnosed by microscopy 16 days post surgery. No relevant travel history. | Ghanaian male residing in USA for 6 years. Last trip to Ghana the year prior to donation | Positive P.F serology | 10 months |
Stickland et al., Australia [33] | 83-years-old female with myelodysplastic syndrome; transfusion dependent. 1991: developed falciparum malaria 23 days post- transfusion diagnosed by microscopy of blood and bone marrow aspirate. No relevant travel history. | Donor was previously a long-term resident of Papua New Guinea. | No laboratory confirmation | 8 months |
Slinger et al., Canada [34] | Case 1: 62-years-old female, post transfusion falciparum malaria in 1997. No history of travel to malarious area | Donor 1: 19-years-old female from Ghana originally and living in Canada for 4 years. | Unable to get a sample for screening | 4 years |
Case 2: 24-years-old female developed fever 15 days post transfusion with P. falciparum confirmed 3 days later | Donor 2: male, originally from Mali. History of malaria treated with chloroquine in 1991 | Donor 2: PCR positive for P.F | 4 years | |
Case 3: 63-years-old male, P. falciparum malaria 16 days after platelet transfusion | Donor 3: Originally from Cameroon. | Donor 3: Rare P.f. T and gametocytes slide | 3 years and history of malaria 13 years previously | |
Frey-Wettstein et al., Switzerland [35] | 70-years-old male with ischaemic heart disease and aortic aneurysm, transfused peri-operatively in 1999. Developed post-transfusion falciparum malaria with symptoms 2 weeks post-op (confirmed by microscopy 1 week later) and died. | 30-years-old male born in Cameroon, with history of malaria aged 15 years. Moved to Europe 10 years before blood donation. Last trip to Cameroon 6 years before. | Serology positive and later slide positive (gametocytes and P.f. T) | 6 years |
MMWR USA [36] | 69-years-old male, transfused in 2003 following upper gastrointestinal bleed. No relevant travel history. Re-admitted 2–3 weeks post transfusion with falciparum malaria diagnosed by microscopy. | 18-years-old blood donor of Ghanaian origin living in USA for 11 months. Treated for malaria 2 years previously. | Slide and PCR negative. Serology (IFA) positive. | 11 months |
Bruneel et al., France [37] | 81-years-old male, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, post transfusion cerebral malaria and death in 2002. Symptoms developed 2 weeks post transfusion. No travel to an endemic area for 20 years. | 19-years-old female, originally from sub-Saharan Africa. Living in France for 4 years | Positive PCR for P.falciparum and negative thick film' in the 'Diagnostic test results for donor' | 4 years |
Kitchen, UK [38] | Case 1: 72-years-old female with acute leukaemia, never visited malarious area. Developed falciparum malaria 13 days after multiple blood product transfusions (probably from platelet transfusion) | Male, UK born, worked in Africa for 10 years and history of malaria. | Serology (IFAT) positive | 2 years |
Case 2: Male with diabetes and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, presenting with falciparum malaria more than 2 weeks after a transfusion. Travelled to Kenya the year before | Female, Nigerian but UK resident since childhood. Three trips to Ghana | Serology (EIA and IFAT) positive | 6 months | |
Case 3: 62-years-old male, fever 4 days post transfusion for gastrointestinal bleeding in 1997. Served in Egypt in WWII. Otherwise no travel. Died of cerebral malaria. | 19-years-old, Ghanaian female. UK national since aged 6 months. Travelled to Uganda in 1994 travelled to Uganda for 6 weeks where she reported undiagnosed fever. | Slide negative. Serology (EIA and IFAT) positive | 3 years | |
Case 4: 51-years-old male with sickle cell anaemia and chronic renal failure. Post transfusion falciparum malaria in 2003. No history of travel to malarious area. Left Jamaica for UK in 1957. | 38-years-old female, Ghanaian, visited Ghana last in 1996 | Slide positive Serology (EIA and IFAT) positive | 7 years | |
MMWR USA [39] | 25-years-old female with sickle cell anaemia, multiple transfusions in 2007, admitted with falciparum malaria (16% parasitaemia) more than 1 month post transfusion. | Donor of Nigerian origin in USA since 2001 with no travel in the intervening period. Hospitalized with fever presumed malaria in 1988 | Serology positive | 6 years |
MMWR USA [40] | Case 1: 27-years-old male with fever 3 weeks post blood transfusion. No travel outside Florida | 27-years-old old donor of Nigerian origin in USA since 2004 with no travel in the intervening period. History of malaria 15 years previously | Serology (IFA) positive, PCR negative | 5 years |
Case 2: 78-years-old male receiving chemotherapy for lung carcinoma diagnosed with falciparum malaria after anaemia investigated. Several blood transfusions in previous 10 months, most recent 2–4 weeks previously. No travel in the last year. | 30-years-old female, lived in East Africa as a child and travelled to Uganda, China, Brazil 13–17 months before donating | PCR negative, Serology (IFA) positive | 13-17 months | |
MMWR USA [41] | 55-years-old female; cardiac surgery and blood transfusion. Re-admitted 1 month later with falciparum malaria (microscopy and PCR positive). No recent relevant travel. | 21-years-old male, born in Russia, lived in Benin for 17 years before immigrating to USA. No travel to endemic area in past 4 years | Slide and RDT neg, Serology and PCR positive (and PCR matched recipient P.F) | 4 years |
Lefavour et al., USA [42] | 27-years-old Ghanaian female, living in USA since 1972 with end stage renal failure. Developed post-transplant falciparum malaria 2 weeks after receiving live related transplant from her mother. Treated, rejected kidney, graft nephrectomy. Second transplant a year later (cadaveric). Post transplant falciparum malaria 5 months later. | Donor 1 (mother)- from Ghana | Donor 1 (mother): serology positive | 23 months |
Donor 2: no information | Donor 2: serology negative |
Author, country, reference | Case description | Time interval since last infection or exposure |
---|---|---|
Nagley et al., UK [43] | 49-years-old male, British soldier, in India from 1919 to 1928. History of malaria in India and one unconfirmed “relapse”. Self-treated with quinine in 1932. No other relevant travel, or blood transfusions. Developed jaundice and then severe malaria in 1945. P. falciparum trophozoites and gametocytes on microscopy | 13-17 years |
Walters et al., UK [44] | 21-years-old pregnant female, originally from Nigeria. Asymptomatic. Diagnosis made by microscopy performed to investigate abnormal routine antenatal full blood count in 1958 | 19 months |
Russell et al., USA [45] | Medical student with annual episodes of smear positive falciparum malaria for 4 years after return from the Belgian Congo in 1934. Eventually cleared following a prolonged course of quinine | 4 years |
Revel et al., France [46] | 7-years-old male, originally from Comoros islands presenting with a febrile illness. P. falciparum trophozoites and gametocytes seen on microscopy, mixed with P. ovale. | 3 years |
Kyronseppa et al., Finland [47] | 46-years-old male sailor, last travel to endemic area was Jeddah 20 months previously. Other possible occupational exposure in late 1970s. Presented with fever after head injury (intracerebral bleed). P. falciparum diagnosed by microscopy | 20 months |
Krajden et al., Canada [48] | 30-years-old male, originally from Ghana. Presented with diabetic ketoacidosis. Malaria diagnosed by microscopy. Serology positive. | 32 months |
MMWR USA [49] | Obstetrician/gynaecologist admitted with fever. Last trip to a malarious area was 15 years before (Afghanistan). Diagnosed on microscopy. Labelled as cryptic malaria (occupational exposure cannot be excluded). | 15 years (unless occupational exposure) |
Howden et al., Australia [16] | 28-years-old female, born in Eritrea and then lived in Sudan. Post splenectomy malaria. Pre-operative slides negative. Retrospective histological diagnosis of hyperreactive malarial splenomegaly. | 9 years |
Giobbia et al., Italy [50] | 29-years-old pregnant woman. Originally from Ghana but living in Italy for 9 years. Last trip to Ghana 4 years previously. Presented with fever and vomiting. Positive P. falciparum rapid diagnostic test, microscopy and serology. | 4 years |
Lesko et al., USA [51] | Congenital falciparum malaria in the infant of a mother who had not been in Haiti for 7 years | 7 years |
Greenwood et al., Sweden [52] | 18-years-old male with sickle-cell anaemia, born in Togo, living in Sweden for 14 years. Last visit 4 years previously. Presented with fever. Microscopy, RDT and PCR positive for P. falciparum. | 4 years |
D’Ortenzio et al., France [53] | 11 cases summarized as part of a case–control study (variable level of detail): | |
26-years-old male, born in France and lived in Madagascar for 2 years where he took regular chloroquine + primaquine prophylaxis. Presented with severe malaria 7 months after return | 7 months | |
5 cases (2 HIV+) with >1 year time lapse since arrival in France | >1 year | |
5 pregnant women | >3 years | |
Theunissen et al., Belgium [54] | 30-years-old male, originally from Guinea-Conakry and moved to Belgium 9 years earlier. No other travel of note. Friend from Guinea stayed with him 2 weeks earlier (raises possibility of ‘baggage malaria’). | 9 years |
Foca et al., Italy [55] | 60-years-old Italian engineer, worked in Tanzania for 33 years where he was treated for malaria. Returned to Italy January 2006 and was diagnosed with carcinoma of the lung and splenomegaly. Fever episode 11 months after return to Italy which resolved spontaneously and P. falciparum gametocytes seen on a blood smear 1 month later. | 11 months |
Szmitko et al., Canada [56] | 29-years-old Angolan female. Immigrated to Canada in 1999, no relevant travel in intervening period. History of treated malaria in Angola. Presented with fever. Falciparum malaria diagnosed by microscopy and PCR. | 8 years |
MMWR USA [41] | Case 1: 17-years-old female, USA born, Ghanaian mother, last travel 4 years previously (report implies to Ghana but not stated explicity). Admitted to hospital with falciparum malaria. No details on diagnosis | 4 years |
Case 2: 31-years-old female, presented to the emergency department with severe falciparum malaria (10% parasitaemia). Travelled to Nicaragua in 2008; took prophylaxis. | 2 years | |
MMWR USA [57] | 8-years-old female, originally from Nigeria. Moved to USA 2007, one trip back in 2008. Malaria history not documented. Presented symptomatic to USA hospital. P. falciparum diagnosis confirmed by microscopy and PCR. | 3 years |
Monge-Maillo et al., Spain [58] | 3 cases: No details on clinical presentation or diagnosis. Only age, sex and country of probably acquisition | |
Case 1 : 32 -years-old male, Angola | 13 months | |
Case 2 : 17-years-old male, Senegal | 14 months | |
Case 3 : 28-years-old male, Guinea | 28 months | |
Berrevoets et al., Netherlands [59] | 48-years-old male, born in Burkina Faso, immigrated to Netherlands 8 years previously, last travel to an endemic country 2.5 years previously. Last anti-malarial drugs in 1997. Admitted with severe malaria confirmed by RDT, microscopy (P. falciparum trophozoites and schizonts) and PCR. | 2.5 years |