A Severe Case of <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> Malaria in a 44-Year-Old Caucasian Woman on Return to Western Romania from a Visit to Nigeria
Alin Gabriel Mihu,
Rodica Lighezan,
Daniela Adriana Oatis,
Ovidiu Alexandru Mederle,
Cristina Petrine-Mocanu,
Cristina Petrescu,
Mirandolina Eugenia Prisca,
Laura Andreea Ghenciu,
Cecilia Roberta Avram,
Maria Alina Lupu,
Adelaida Bica,
Tudor Rareș Olariu
Affiliations
Alin Gabriel Mihu
“Aurel Ardelean” Institute of Life Sciences, Vasile Goldis Western University of Arad, 310414 Arad, Romania
Rodica Lighezan
Center for Diagnosis and Study of Parasitic Diseases, Department of Infectious Disease, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Daniela Adriana Oatis
“Aurel Ardelean” Institute of Life Sciences, Vasile Goldis Western University of Arad, 310414 Arad, Romania
Ovidiu Alexandru Mederle
Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Cristina Petrine-Mocanu
Clinical Laboratory, Arad Clinical Emergency Hospital, 310031 Arad, Romania
Cristina Petrescu
Discipline of Hygiene, Department of Microbiology, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Mirandolina Eugenia Prisca
Department of Infectious Diseases, Arad Clinical Emergency Hospital, 310031 Arad, Romania
Laura Andreea Ghenciu
Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Cecilia Roberta Avram
Department of Biology and Life Sciences, Vasile Goldis Western University, 310300 Arad, Romania
Maria Alina Lupu
Center for Diagnosis and Study of Parasitic Diseases, Department of Infectious Disease, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Adelaida Bica
Department of Infectious Diseases, Arad Clinical Emergency Hospital, 310031 Arad, Romania
Tudor Rareș Olariu
Center for Diagnosis and Study of Parasitic Diseases, Department of Infectious Disease, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Malaria is currently the most prevalent life-threatening infectious disease in the world. In this case report, we present a 44-year-old Caucasian woman with a low level of education and no significant past medical history who presented to the emergency room of the Emergency County Hospital of Arad, Romania, with a general affected state, a fever of 38.5 °C, chills, weakness, headache, muscle pain, nausea, icterus, and watery diarrheal stool. A viral infection was initially suspected, and the patient was transferred to the Infectious Diseases Department. The anamnesis revealed that the patient traveled to Nigeria (Ado Ekiti) and returned to Romania 14 days before presenting to the hospital without following antimalarial prophylaxis. A peripheral blood smear was conducted and revealed parasitemia with ring forms of Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) of 10–15% within the red blood cells. Parasitemia increased within a day to 15–18%, and her health rapidly deteriorated. She was transferred to the Victor Babeș Infectious Disease Hospital in Bucharest for the urgent initiation of antimalarial treatment. The patient’s condition continued to worsen rapidly, and she succumbed to her illness due to multi-organ failure. This report details the first documented case of malaria imported from Nigeria to Romania. People traveling to malaria-endemic areas should be educated about preventing this parasitic infection, both by adopting measures to reduce the risk of mosquito bites and by using appropriate chemoprophylaxis. In the context of resuming travel after the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding and adhering to prophylactic measures is crucial to avoid tragic situations, as highlighted in this case report.
