Perinatal malaria and tuberculosis co-infection: a case report.
India remains endemic for both vivax malaria and tuberculosis. In spite of the high burden of tuberculosis in the country, reports on congenital tuberculosis in the literature are limited. We report herein an unusual instance of co-occurrence of perinatal falciparum malaria and tuberculosis in a 34-day-old female newborn, who presented with symptoms of sepsis. The diagnosis was based on the demonstration of Plasmodium falciparum on peripheral blood smear and tubercle bacilli in gastric aspirate samples. The maternal history for falciparum malaria was positive during her eighth month of pregnancy and the father was an open case of sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis. She responded dramatically to combined antimalarial and antitubercular chemotherapy. A search for combined etiologies in presumed 'sepsis' in the newborn, guided by history, physical examination, and laboratory investigations, is warranted.
Thapa
Rajoo
R
The Department of Pediatrics and Division of Neonatology, The Institute of Child Health, 11, Dr. Biresh Guha Street, Kolkata-700017, West Bengal, India. rajoothapa@yahoo.co.in
Mallick
Debkrishna
D
Biswas
Biswajit
B
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000150:complications* / Q000151:congenital / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology
D000962:Antimalarials; D000995:Antitubercular Agents