[Imported malaria: prevention should strengthened].
BACKGROUND
The risk of acquiring malaria infection can largely be prevented by the regular use of chemoprophylactic drugs combined with protective measures against mosquito bites. In a retrospective study we had for aim to evaluate the compliance to malaria chemoprophylaxis in patients presenting with malaria infection.


METHODS
We analyzed the compliance to the recommended malaria chemoprophylaxis of French travelers hospitalized in a department of infectious diseases because of malaria infection, between January 1999 and December 2003.


RESULTS
Eighty-five patients, with a mean age of 34.1 years (16-65) were treated for malaria infection. Seventy-seven were due to Plasmodium falciparum. The outcome was favorable for all patients, despite four severe accesses. Forty-six patients (54%) did not take any chemoprophylaxis (CP), 19 (22%) had an inadequate CP for the risk, 13 (15%) badly complied with intermittent intake of CP and seven (8%) complied well with the recommended malaria CP. Among the 85 patients, 27 (32%) had come to the travelers' consultation and been given recommendations and a recommended malaria CP prescription before traveling.


CONCLUSIONS
These results confirm that the majority of imported malaria cases is a consequence of bad compliance to CP. Understanding user profiles and factors predicting non-compliance may help us to improve pretravel counseling, thereby reducing the risk for travelers to acquire malaria infection.
Godet
C
C
Service de médecine interne et maladies infectieuses, CHU La Milétrie, rue la Milétrie, 86021 Poitiers, France.
Le Moal
G
G
Rodier
M H
MH
Landron
C
C
Roblot
F
F
Jacquemin
J L
JL
Becq-Giraudon
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001733:Bites and Stings; D009033:Culicidae; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D008875:Middle Aged; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum; D014195:Travel
D000962:Antimalarials