Malaria and its importance in travel medicine

Malaria remains one of the most important infectious diseases worldwide. The annual number of cases is currently estimated at around 240 million globally, of which more than 500,000 cases are fatal. The majority of malaria cases in Europe are imported from the African continent. Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria tropica, causes 75-90 % of all infections imported to Germany. Artemisinin-based combination therapies are the standard treatment for uncomplicated malaria worldwide. In addition to uncomplicated malaria infections, Plasmodium falciparum can cause severe malaria, characterized by vital organ dysfunction and hyperparasitaemia. The treatment of choice for severe malaria is parenteral artesunate. For all patients presenting with febrile illness after a stay in a malaria-endemic area malaria must be ruled out immediately. Microscopy of the thick drop remains the gold standard for diagnosis in clinical routine.