Length of stay in at-risk areas and time to malaria attack on return - 25/01/24
, Céline Dard c, Sébastien Bailly d, Marc Thellier f, g, Sandrine Houze e, g, Hervé Pelloux c, Olivier Epaulard a, bHighlights |
• | What we already know on this topic: Malaria is a potentially severe infectious disease usually contracted while travelling. Given the incubation period, the time of disease onset may depend on the time spent in the endemic zone. |
• | What this study adds: For stays in an endemic area of more than 2 weeks, time to symptom onset or diagnosis did not vary according to length of stay, with a median of 2 weeks after return. |
• | Potential impact of this study on research, practice, or policy: The 2 weeks following return should be considered as a risk period whatever the length of stay in an at-risk area. |
Abstract |
Background |
Experimental infection with Plasmodium falciparum results in malaria attack within a few days of exposure. However, we have regularly observed malaria attack within a short time after return, regardless of the time spent in an endemic area. We therefore aimed to assess whether the time before return and malaria attack varies according to length of stay.
Methods |
We used anonymized data from the French National Reference Centre for Malaria between 2006 and 2016. We analyzed 11,823 cases aged at least 1 year and diagnosed with P. falciparum malaria 1 day to 1 year after returning to France, after a stay of 1 day to 1 year in an at-risk area.
Results |
Trips had a median duration of 31 days [IQR: 19–56]. Median time between return from the endemic area and onset of malaria symptoms was 5 days [IQR: 0–10], and the median between return and malaria diagnosis was 9 days [IQR: 5–14]. Times to symptom onset or diagnosis were longer for stays of fewer than 15 days vs 15 days or more (for symptoms: 7 vs 4 days for longer stays, for diagnosis: 11 vs 9 days). For stays longer than 15 days, no variation was observed according to length of stay.
Conclusions |
Aside from at-risk stays of fewer than 15 days, the time between return and malaria attack is constant and rather short, even after long stays. The 2 weeks following return should be considered as a risk period whatever the length of stay in an at-risk area.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Keywords : Imported malaria, Travel, Emergency Medical Service, Observational study, National cohort
Plan
Vol 54 - N° 1
Article 104819- février 2024 Retour au numéro
Article précédent
- Knowledge and perceptions of French community pharmacists and pharmacy students about the papillomavirus vaccine
- S. Dahes, M. Damerval, T. Bataillard, Q. Lepiller, V. Nerich
- Anogenital distribution of mucosal HPV in males and females before and after renal transplantation
- Jean-Luc Prétet, Antoine Touzé, Lionel Pazart, Guillaume Boiteux, Véronique Fournier, Chrystelle Vidal, Françoise Arnold, Didier Ducloux, Quentin Lepiller, Christiane Mougin
Bienvenue sur EM-consulte, la référence des professionnels de santé.
L’accès au texte intégral de cet article nécessite un abonnement.
Déjà abonné à cette revue ?