title: [Plasmodium ovale infection: description of 16 cases and a review].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Information on imported malaria caused by Plasmodium ovale parasite is scarce.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen cases were studied retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most cases had an incubation period ranging from 2 to 53 months and were African immigrants recently arrived or residents in Spain who had visited West Africa. Ten patients had underlying diseases and 5 suffered from a previous P. falciparum infection. Three patients had severe complications and 3 were asymptomatic. Rapid malaria test was positive in 2 out of 10 patients. Five were diagnosed only with PCR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  P. ovale infection can be asymptomatic or cause severe complications up to 5 years after arriving.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Príncipe de Asturias, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España. grojo.hupa@salud.madrid.org
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rojo-Marcos
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cuadros-González
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gete-García
authors.forename: Peña
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gómez-Herruz
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López-Rubio
authors.forename: Gema
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Esteban-Gutierrez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000354:Africa, Western / Q000208:ethnology; D000368:Aged; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000469:parasitology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D041122:Plasmodium ovale / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014195:Travel; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000962:Antimalarials; D016054:DNA, Protozoan