title: Imported malaria in children in industrialized countries, 1992-2002.
abstract: Children account for an appreciable proportion of total imported malaria cases, yet few studies have quantified these cases, identified trends, or suggested evidence-based prevention strategies for this group of travelers. We therefore sought to identify numbers of cases and deaths, Plasmodium species, place of malaria acquisition, preventive measures used, and national origin of malaria in children. We analyzed retrospective data from Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States and data provided by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. During 1992-2002, >17,000 cases of imported malaria in children were reported in 11 countries where malaria is not endemic; most (>70%) had been acquired in Africa. Returning to country of origin to visit friends and relatives was a risk factor. Malaria prevention for children should be a responsibility of healthcare providers and should be subsidized for low-income travelers to high-risk areas.
authors.affiliation: University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stäger
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Legros
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Low
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: Meghna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: D'Amato
authors.forename: Yasutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Ragnhild
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Janzon
authors.forename: Eskild
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kester
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Steffen
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schlagenhauf
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019049:Developed Countries; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D014195:Travel