Parasites, Hosts and Diseases

The Korea Society for Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (대한기생충학·열대의학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

COVID-19 and Plasmodium ovale Malaria: A Rare Case of Co-Infection

  • Caglar, Bilge (Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine) ;
  • Karaali, Ridvan (Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine) ;
  • Balkan, Ilker Inanc (Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine) ;
  • Mete, Bilgul (Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine) ;
  • Aygun, Gokhan (Department of Microbiology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine)
  • Received : 2021.05.02
  • Accepted : 2021.07.26
  • Published : 2021.08.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a major health problem worldwide. Timely diagnosis of co-infections mimicking COVID-19, such as malaria, might be challenging particularly in non-endemic areas. We report the first case of COVID-19 and Plasmodium ovale malaria co-infection from our region aiming to highligt the importance of travel history and prophylaxis in malaria management in the context of pandemic. The galloping sound can sometimes be a harbinger of zebra besides the horse.

Keywords

References

  1. Worldometer. Report Coronavirus Cases [Internet]; [cited 2021 Feb 7]. Available from: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
  2. World Health Organization. Vector-borne and parasitic diseasesMalaria-Turkey [Internet]; [cited 2021 Feb 7]. Available from: https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/communicable-diseases/vector-borne-and-parasitic-diseases/malaria/countrywork/turkey#:~:text=Malaria%20risk%20exists%20only%20in,areas%20where%20tourism%20is%20concentrated
  3. Besli Y, Bengur FB, Akyar I, Kurt O. The investigation of malaria cases in a central laboratory in Istanbul region for a period of fifteen years. Turkiye Parazitol Derg 2019; 43: 65-69. https://doi.org/10.4274/tpd.galenos.2018.5939.
  4. Delibas SB, Akisu C, Aksoy U, Ozkoc S, Sari B, Tekis D, Biberoglu K. Plasmodium falciparum ve Plasmodium ovale'nin Etken Oldugu Importe Bir Miks Sitma Olgusu. Turkiye Parazitol Derg 2005; 29: 63-67 (in Turkiye).
  5. Di Gennaro F, Marotta C, Locantore P, Pizzol D, Putoto G. Malaria and COVID-19: common and different findings. Trop Med Infect Dis 2020; 5: 141. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed5030141
  6. Correia MJ, Frade L, Guerreiro R, Araujo I, Baptista T, Fonseca C, Mansinho K. A patient with severe malaria and COVID-19: how do you tell the difference between these infections? Eur J Case Rep Intern Med 2020; 7: 002007. https://doi.org/10.12890/2020_002007
  7. Sardar S, Sharma R, Alyamani TYM, Aboukamar M. COVID-19 and Plasmodium vivax malaria co-infection. IDCases 2020; 21: e00879. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idcr.2020.e00879
  8. Hussein MIH, Albashir AAD, Elawad OAMA, Homeida A. Malaria and COVID-19: unmasking their ties. Malar J 2020; 19: 457. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-020-03541-w
  9. COVID-19 Bilgilendirme Platformu. Eriskin Hasta Tedavisi [Internet]; [cited 2021 Feb 7]. Available from: https://covid19.saglik.gov.tr/TR-66926/eriskin-hasta-tedavisi.html
  10. World Health Organization. Guidelines for the Treatment of Malaria. 3rd ed. Geneva, Switzeland. World Health Organization. 2015, pp. 1-313. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/162441
  11. White NJ. Determinants of relapse periodicity in Plasmodium vivax malaria. Malar J 2011; 10: 297 https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-10-297
  12. Amoah LE, Donu D, Abuaku B, Ahorlu C, Arhinful D, Afari E, Malm K, Koram KA. Probing the composition of Plasmodium species contained in malaria infections in the Eastern region of Ghana. BMC Public Health 2019; 19: 1617. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7989-1
  13. Hollenstein U, Looareesuwan S, Aichelburg A, Thalhammer F, Stoiser B, Amradee S, Chullawichit S, El Menyawi I, Burgmann H. Serum procalcitonin levels in severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Am J Trop Med Hyg 1998; 59: 860-863. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.1998.59.860
  14. Seyahat Sagligi. Health status of countrie [Internet]; [cited 2021 Feb 8]. Available from: https://www.seyahatsagligi.gov.tr
  15. Yang CW, Peng TT, Hsu HY, Lee YZ, Wu SH, Lin WH, Ke YY, Hsu TA, Yeh TK, Huang WZ, Lin JH, Sytwu HK, Chen CT, Lee SJ. Repurposing old drugs as antiviral agents for coronaviruses. Biomed J 2020; 43: 368-374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bj.2020.05.003