Al-Mutairat Reem Musaad Khaled Fahad, Iqbal Jamshaid, El Sayad Mona Hassan, Farag Hoda Fahmy, Kethireddy Ananthalakshmi V, Sher Ali, El-Taweel Hend Aly
Ministry of Health, Sulaibkhat, Kuwait.
Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Medicine, Kuwait University, Jabriya, Kuwait.
J Parasit Dis. 2024 Sep;48(3):493-500. doi: 10.1007/s12639-024-01686-y. Epub 2024 Jun 4.
Cases of imported malaria are reported each year in several malaria non-endemic countries, including Kuwait. PCR testing is the ideal method for identification of the infecting spp. The present study documented the epidemiologic characteristics of molecularly confirmed cases of imported malaria in Kuwait during the first year of COVID-19 pandemic. During the period from February 2020 to February 2021, 100 travelers with suspected malaria who had come from malaria-endemic countries of Africa (n = 60) and Asia (n = 40) were examined. Malaria diagnosis was made by microscopy of blood-stained smears and confirmed by a multiplex real-time PCR assay. Samples with discordant species identification results were sequenced. A total of 27 cases (27%) [ 14; 11; 1 mixed and , 1] were detected, of whom 12 came to Kuwait for the first time and 15 were returning after visiting their home countries. Most of the returning travelers (12 out of 15 cases, 80%) had not received malaria chemoprophylaxis. Most cases of falciparum malaria (13/15) were Africans while most of the vivax cases (9/11) were Asians. Malaria was more common among subjects entering Kuwait for the first time (OR = 4.025, CI 1.07,15.1) and illiterates (OR = 13.8, CI 1.8,101.4). In conclusion, imported malaria caused mainly by and was an ongoing problem during the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel history and education level were significant predictors of malaria among suspected cases.
包括科威特在内的几个非疟疾流行国家每年都会报告输入性疟疾病例。聚合酶链反应（PCR）检测是鉴定感染疟原虫种类的理想方法。本研究记录了2019冠状病毒病大流行第一年科威特分子确诊输入性疟疾病例的流行病学特征。在2020年2月至2021年2月期间，对100名来自非洲（n = 60）和亚洲（n = 40）疟疾流行国家的疑似疟疾病例的旅行者进行了检查。通过对血涂片进行显微镜检查做出疟疾诊断，并通过多重实时PCR检测进行确认。对物种鉴定结果不一致的样本进行测序。共检测到27例（27%）[14；11；1例混合感染，1例其他]，其中12人首次来到科威特，15人在回国探亲后返回。大多数回国旅行者（15例中的12例，80%）未接受疟疾化学预防。大多数恶性疟病例（13/15）为非洲人，而大多数间日疟病例（9/11）为亚洲人。疟疾在首次进入科威特的人群中更为常见（比值比=4.025，置信区间1.07，15.1），在文盲中也更为常见（比值比=13.8，置信区间1.8，101.4）。总之，在2019冠状病毒病大流行期间，主要由恶性疟原虫和间日疟原虫引起的输入性疟疾是一个持续存在的问题。旅行史和教育水平是疑似病例中疟疾的重要预测因素。
