[Imported malaria in children in 1999. Study of the Armand-Trousseau Hospital in Paris].
METHODS
Eighty children were treated at the hospital Armand-Trousseau (Paris, France) for a malaria attack from 1999-01-01 to 2000-02-01.


RESULTS
The parasites were: Plasmodium falciparum: 87.5%, Plasmodium malariae: 12.6%, Plasmodium ovale: 10%, Plasmodium vivax: 6.3%. Mean age was 8.1 years (range: three months to 15 y). The origin of patients was: West Africa for 60 children, Central Africa for ten children and Comores for seven. Sixty-six patients suffered from common malaria attack and seven children were admitted with a presentation of severe malaria. The severe attacks were cerebral malaria for six cases, associated with severe anemia in five cases; the 7th child had a respiratory distress (ARDS) and died. The other six cases were cured without sequelae. Relapses were observed for eight patients: one after a severe cerebral malaria, six after a common P. falciparum attack, one after a P. ovale attack. Parasitemia was higher than in preceding years (mean 2.9%) and more than 5% in 11 cases, but without clear link with severity. Treatment by halofantrine with a single cure was followed by five relapses. None of those children received an effective prophylaxis during and after travel (55/80 without any prophylaxis).


CONCLUSIONS
These data emphasize the importance of a good appraisal of criteria of severe malaria and lead to advice hospitalization of children with malaria in temperate zone.
Parez
N
N
Service de pédiatrie générale, maladies infectieuses et tropicales et urgences, hôpital d'Enfants Armand-Trousseau, 75571 Paris, France.
Delée
S
S
Favier
R
R
Adam
M
M
Quinet
B
B
Grimprel
E
E
Bégué
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D010297:Paris / Q000453:epidemiology; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014195:Travel
D000962:Antimalarials; D010616:Phenanthrenes; C023768:halofantrine